27. A Multiverse Made of Stories
After placing the elements of Light, Earth, Death, Aether, and Air in their respective places on the diagram in the control room of the former Cyclonian warship – reforging the Aurora Stone into an unbroken crystal in the process – Mozenrath immediately went about casting a series of rather complex spells to establish a recall point and a communications beacon from the warship. The former ensured that no matter where the ship went, if one of the mages who called it home wanted to teleport to it, they could end up inside the building instead of transporting into the void where it had been when said mage had been in it last. The latter ensured that all of the team's scrolls would connect to each other reaching across worlds. These enchantments took Mozenrath most of the day. He could have gone faster, but he wanted to avoid undergoing another spell of weakness as he'd suffered when giving the base a supply of breathable air.
He was then faced with the dilemma of where to go next in order to further the conquest spell. The loss of the Datascape had set him back several steps. He paced the spacious halls of the warcraft, thinking on the subject, when he realized the ideas he was nipping at were probably those that required a team effort. So he set out for the laboratory. At least with the new base, he ruminated, Yzma and Vexen had nothing to fight about. There was enough space for each to have a separate laboratory in what would probably have passed for a basement if the base were still rooted in the ground.
As Mozenrath neared this area, he noticed that it looked different from the last time he had been there. Namely, the entryway, which had formerly just been a large, dark set of double doors, was replaced by what seemed to be a solid wall with a boar's head statue set in the midst of it.
"Did they decide they didn't want it anymore…?" Mozenrath muttered, looking around the boar's head with curiosity. The more he observed it, the more he realized the two upward-protruding tusks on the statue resembled levers. "Or maybe one of them opens the door?" Tentatively, he reached out, grasped one of the tusks, and yanked it down in a perpendicular direction.
A panel opened up on one of the side walls, and a cannon extended from it, belching a stream of flame directly at Mozenrath. Mozenrath staggered back, arms flailing, narrowly missing having his cape catch on fire. "Why do they even HAVE that lever?" he roared at the cannon, which provided no answer: just more fire.
When the cannon emptied out and retreated behind the wall, Mozenrath turned his attention back to the boar's head. He pulled the other tusk, half expecting to have a laser open fire on him for it. Instead, the entire wall and the portion of the floor Mozenrath was standing on flipped around, landing Mozenrath in what he could only describe as a stone cart on a rollercoaster track set in an expansive chamber that he didn't think could physically possibly even be inside the warship. He barely had time to register this before the cart plunged down the track at a high speed, twisting this way and that so hard that Mozenrath found himself gripping onto the interior of the cart for dear life. The cart came to a hard stop at the end of the track, and Mozenrath was hurtled out, doing a flip in the air before he came to an unsteady landing on his feet in, finally, the laboratory space he recognized as what he'd given over to Yzma and Vexen. It took him a moment to realize he was now clothed in a white laboratory coat; he had no idea at what point this garment had been placed on his body. He shrugged it off, storming deeper into the chamber.
Mozenrath found Yzma and Mim hovering over a boiling beaker. "WHAT was that?" he demanded of them.
"What was what?" Yzma asked without looking away from her project.
"The door," Mozenrath clarified. "The PERFECTLY ORDINARY DOOR. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DOOR?"
"Eh, it wasn't fun enough," Yzma answered, still not looking at Mozenrath. "I had Wuya install a replacement. Now, did you come down here for a reason, or did you just want to gripe about the rollercoaster?"
"I wanted to ask a favor," Mozenrath stated, forcing himself to cool down. "And it's just so fortunate that I found both of you together, because I think both of you can help me."
"Nope," Mim said immediately. "Don't feel like it."
"You don't even know what I'm going to ask."
"But I don't FEEL like being helpful today."
"Then Yzma," Mozenrath sighed. "Maybe YOU can help me. With the Datascape gone, I don't have an easy way to look for magical artifacts anymore. What I was hoping – "
He was interrupted by storming footsteps. He had a good idea of who had arrived without even needing to turn to see. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF KINGDOM HEARTS AND ALL OF THE WORLDS WAS THAT?" Vexen roared.
"What was what?" Yzma asked again.
"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME!" Vexen barked. "WHEN DID YOU REPLACE THE FRONT DOOR OF OUR LABORATORY WITH A ROLLERCOASTER? No, no, never mind that, I don't care when or why. Just put it back the way it was!"
"And what if I don't want to?" Yzma retorted.
Vexen gritted his teeth. "Mozenrath. Tell her…to put…the entryway…back…the way…it was."
"I would," Mozenrath replied, "but the more I think back on it, the more that was actually kind of fun."
"I don't BELIEVE you!" Vexen hissed.
"Also, you interrupted me," Mozenrath told him, "so I'm not exactly feeling sympathetic to your cause. That actually might be the more important priority here. So, Yzma. You know about locator spells."
"That I do," Yzma confirmed.
"You want a LOCATOR spell?" Mim asked. "That's it? Well, you could have just asked me for one if I actually felt like being helpful! But, as it is, I still don't."
"Then why did you bring it up?" Mozenrath groaned.
"ARE YOU ALL JUST IGNORING ME?" Vexen snapped.
It was at that moment that all attentions were turned to a loud whooping coming from the direction of the rollercoaster. Shortly after it ceased, Roman came jogging into the room, stripping off a lab coat in the process. Once he saw how many others were present, he froze. "I…see this was a bad time."
"Did you want something?" Yzma asked.
"No," Roman answered, offput. "I mean yes. I mean…I did definitely come down here because I wanted something."
"You just wanted to ride the rollercoaster, didn't you?" Yzma called out.
Roman glanced downward. "…Maybe."
"I rode it five times!" Mim volunteered.
"Well, now I feel a little better about my life," Roman replied, looking back up.
"Can we please get back to – " Mozenrath tried to regain control of the conversation.
"PUTTING THE DOORS BACK THE WAY THEY WERE!" Vexen hijacked.
"Um, NO," Roman said firmly. "You are NOT taking that thing away from me."
" – As I was saying," Mozenrath said quickly, "what I want isn't a locator spell for any specific person or object, but a locator spell that can lead to an object that matches a – "
A wicked cackle emanated from the entryway. Aghoul entered, discarding a lab coat of his own. "So this is where the unlife of the party is," he remarked.
"I swear you've already used that one," Yzma groaned.
"Love the new rollercoaster," Aghoul complimented. "You could even say I – "
"LOVE IT TO DEATH," Yzma, Mozenrath, Roman, and Vexen grunted as one. This earned them all small zaps of electricity from Mim in the backs of their necks.
"Would you mind terribly much if I started charging admission for it?" Aghoul queried.
Yzma thought it over. "Just charge Vexen. No one else."
"WHY ME?" Vexen seethed.
"Because frankly, seeing you throw tantrums amuses me almost as much as riding the rollercoaster," Yzma replied with a smirk.
"AN OBJECT THAT MATCHES A DESCRIPTION OR AN AURA, SO WE CAN USE IT TO PICK OUT THINGS THAT RESONATE WITH THE REMAINING ELEMENTS FROM ACROSS THE VARIOUS WORLDS," Mozenrath hurried to say as fast as he possibly could.
Yzma gave him a nod. "I'll work on it."
Mozenrath then teleported out of the room just as Vexen's voice hit one octave higher than it had been. Reappearing in front of the boar's head, he gave it a glance, wondering if perhaps he shouldn't have one more go on the coaster. Then, shrugging it off, he moved out of the bowels of the fortress.
...
-Mozenrath
-Roman Torchwick
-Neo
-Ravess
-Snipe
-Scary guy in dragon helmet
-Scary purple lady
-Shapeshifter
-Redhead with lots of magic
-Purple guy with skulls
-Deep voiced red hat guy
Sora, Ruby, Papyrus, and the still bat-shaped Stork looked over the list they'd compiled on the dashboard screen of the Gummi ship.
"I think we got all of them," Sora announced.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY WANT?" Papyrus wondered out loud.
"Well, we know Maleficent wants to spread the Darkness," Sora mused. "But these guys aren't with Maleficent."
"They just seem like they're spreading chaos wherever they go," Ruby ruminated. "And that's kind of what Roman did best. One of the last things he said to me before I thought he died was that the people he was working for were going to change the world, and 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.'"
"You think these are the same people he brought up?" Stork asked.
"I…don't know," Ruby admitted. "I get the feeling they're not."
"Well, we'll know a lot more after we've figured out who Mozenrath is," Sora resolved.
Just then, another Gummi ship blew past their vehicle at such a speed and proximity that it caused the ship to lurch, sending the entire quartet tumbling into the wall with screams of shock.
"Ow," Stork muttered.
"IS EVERYONE OKAY?" Papyrus asked worriedly.
"I'm good!" Sora answered.
"I'm okay!" Ruby chimed in.
"I'm no worse than usual," Stork concluded.
They peeled themselves off the wall and moved back to the dashboard. "Hey!" Sora realized. "We're getting close to Radiant Garden!" He took the wheel, guiding the ship down toward the spires of the great castle. "You're all gonna LOVE this place."
...
"Oh, they're here, they're here!" Cruella gushed as she made for the front entryway of Villain's Vale. Grimhilde and Maleficent were close behind, their curiosity sparked by the prospect of these new allies. "I do believe you're going to be most impressed with them, really," Cruella went on. "They'll be just what you're looking for."
"I most certainly hope so," Maleficent said dryly.
The doors swung wide to reveal a motley assortment of people led by a woman strikingly red in appearance: red-haired, clothed in a red gown, and wearing copious amounts of lipstick and rouge.
"Medusa, DARLING!" Cruella greeted, moving in to embrace the woman in red.
"Cruella, dear!" Medusa replied, returning the gesture. "It is good to see you!"
Grimhilde stood still as a stone, but inside of her, a flame of jealousy raged up.
As soon as Cruella and Medusa broke apart, Cruella stepped back and turned toward Maleficent and Grimhilde. "These are the associates I spoke of," Cruella introduced. Back to the group, she fervently waved for them to step over the threshold; "Come in, come in! Don't just loiter about in the doorway like idiots!"
Once all were inside the fortress, Cruella had them line up. "Everyone, this is Maleficent," she introduced. "From now on, you're to be taking orders from her, and no sassing back from any of you. The same goes for dear Grimmie here. Not a peep against her, you understand?"
Grimhilde's envy abated.
Maleficent was pleased with this order. "And to whom in particular am I giving the orders?"
"Well, first of all, this is Madame Medusa," Cruella explained, standing before the woman in red. "She's an excellent markswoman who knows how to obtain a good deal things you could want to find on the black market."
Cruella then moved to the next in line: a tall man dressed in a long trenchcoat. "Percival C. McLeach. Expert poacher."
Next, a buff man clad in a yellow shirt. "Mr. Clayton. If you need something hunted, animal or human, he'll have it stuffed and mounted on your wall in a matter of minutes."
A broad man in a business suit, flanked by a pair of Dobermans. "Bill Sykes. Guns, knives, you name it, he can use it against you. Though he prefers to hand the job off to these mangy mutts more often than not, for whatever reason."
A pair of men with enough facial similarity that they could be identified as brothers, dressed in brown. "Horace and Jasper Badun. Longtime associates of mine. Both of them are utter IMBECILES, but at the very least they're obedient."
And finally, a tall, balding man dressed in a more elegant suit followed by a short, squat man in a cream-colored ensemble. "Edgar Balthazar and Mr. Snoops. Not useful for particularly anything. Best to relegate them to housework and servants' tasks. They're good at THAT at least. And finally…er…" Cruella had reached the end of the line.
Clayton stepped forward, dipping into a deep bow. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Maleficent…Mrs. Grim?"
"Grimhilde," the latter corrected.
"Heh," McLeach snorted. "Maybe it's a pleasure for you. What do WE get out of this whole deal?"
"Obey me, and you shall reap rewards the likes of which you've never dreamed," Maleficent promised. "Fail me or betray me, however, and you will not find yourselves so concerned with what you gain as with what you will lose."
"I like the way you work," Sykes rasped, a grin overtaking him.
"WHAT did I tell you idiots about sassing back?" Cruella snapped.
"Is there a problem?" Grimhilde asked Cruella. "You seemed to falter seeking a conclusion to your introductions."
"Well, yes," Cruella admitted. "There are two more of them. I suppose they're late, AS USUAL."
...
In fact, the two remaining members of Cruella's entourage were breezing through interspace as quickly as they could in a small Gummi ship shaped vaguely like a sailboat. A tall man in a top hat and a shining multicolored suit, sporting a small beard, cranked furiously at the wheel, steering the ship first a few degrees too far left of course, then a few degrees too far right, balancing it all out in the long run. Riding alongside him, a shorter man in a beige suit and a matching bowler hat was keeping an eye out the dashboard window.
"Hard right!" the shorter man barked, noticing another Gummi ship coming dangerously close into view.
The taller man hurriedly steered as rightmost as he could, barely avoiding collision with the other ship and sending it slightly off balance, its occupants tumbling about inside the cabin.
Within a few moments, the shorter man noticed another familiar sight coming into view. "Radiant Garden, dead ahead! VILLAIN'S VALE, DEAD AHEAD!"
"DROP ANCHOR!" the taller man commanded.
The shorter man rushed to flip a lever at the back of the cockpit. As the Gummi ship veered into the atmosphere of Radiant Garden, just above Maleficent's stronghold, an anchor ejected from the rear of the ship and caught on one of the towers. The Gummi ship was jerked to a hard stop; at the same time, the anchor ripped a chunk out of the wall, startling Jafar quite a bit. The Gummi ship finally came crashing down into the valley outside the castle, and its two occupants disembarked.
All of this took place from within the view of one of the atrium windows; Maleficent, Grimhilde, Cruella, and the assembled band of ne'er-do-wells witnessed the whole scene.
"And that would be Dr. Terminus and Hoagy," Cruella sighed.
The two men skidded through the door. "Have we missed anything?" Terminus asked.
"MUST you two make such a scene wherever you go?" Medusa snapped.
"It's more fun that way," Hoagy admitted.
"Terminus and Hoagy have a…limited amount of medicinal knowledge that could come in handy," Cruella explained. "Though their far stronger suit is obtaining any item you wish that Medusa can't get for you."
"That reminds me," Terminus said hushedly. "About the, ah, goods we promised – "
"We'll discuss it LATER," Cruella hissed, hoping Maleficent wouldn't probe too much into that particular thread of conversation.
Maleficent considered asking what exactly Terminus had been about to deliver to Cruella, but she was soon brought to a much more pressing matter when Jasper asked, "So what exactly are you talkin' about us losin' if we fail?"
Maleficent's lips curved into a smile. "I'm glad you asked. I had hoped to give you a little demonstration. Do follow me."
As Maleficent led the odd band through the castle, she asked, "Have you had any experience dealing with magic?"
"I had a quite brutal tangle with a dragon," Terminus volunteered.
"It was brutal," Hoagy affirmed.
"And how did the dragon fare at the end of this ordeal?" Maleficent asked.
"Well, he came out of it…perhaps a little more alive than we had hoped," Terminus admitted.
"I shall attribute your lack of experience to deficiency in your weaponry," Maleficent stated. "You shall be given the proper means to deal with magical foes. At the moment, more than a few such entities are giving us competition."
As Maleficent strode into the meeting chamber with entourage in tow, she found Pete waiting there for her. "Maleficent!" he greeted. "You, uh, you wanted to see me?"
"That I did," Maleficent replied. "I had meant to discuss with you your...performance when it came to acquiring the amulet I sent you to retrieve."
"And I meant to thank you for lettin' me off the hook with that!" Pete sighed. "I thought you was gonna do somethin' terrible to me for it!"
"I simply couldn't bring myself to harm you," Maleficent told him. "After all, you did fight valiantly, and against quite persistent opponents." Her staff materialized in her hand as she said this.
"Heheh, yeah!" Pete agreed. "And I did give them a good smackin' around!"
"Yet despite your best efforts, you STILL failed me," Maleficent reminded him. "You fought alongside a powerful ally, and you lost her shortly before fleeing the scene like a coward."
"I, uh…" Pete wasn't sure where this conversation was going.
"You see why I couldn't bring myself to harm you when you returned," Maleficent explained. "I had to wait to make an example out of you in front of those who most needed to see it."
Pete's blood ran cold.
Thorn-studded vines curled up from the floor, wrapping themselves around Pete and digging their tips into his skin. He immediately seized up, falling to the floor in nothing short of agony. His mouth immediately ran dry, and his skin poured out sweat as the thorns emptied a lethal poison into his veins. Colors and shapes that should not have been there flashed before his eyes. His stomach churned, and he would have vomited had any of his muscles been in working order. And through it all, his heart beat so rapidly he thought it would give out.
"He will be dead of poison within the hour," Maleficent informed her new underlings, conjuring a Corridor of Darkness in the floor that swept Pete out of sight to die in solitude in the dungeon. "I hope you all now understand what you have to lose should you fail."
"Of-of-of course," Edgar stuttered.
"Comin' in loud and clear," McLeach grunted.
...
In one of the outdoor courtyards of Radiant Garden, one that had just been replanted with fresh flowers of all colors, Yuffie Kisaragi found herself helping Nora Valkyrie satisfy her curiosity as to whether shuriken were a good replacement weapon for Magnhild. Several wooden structures painted to look like caricatures of Maleficent and her cronies were stood up at one end of the yard, and Yuffie and Nora stood at the other, a pile of the sharp metal weapons between them.
"You draw back," Yuffie explained, preparing to throw a shuriken. "You keep your eyes on the target…and then it's all in the wrist!" She flicked the shard of metal at the wooden Jafar, where it sank deep between his eyes.
"Gotcha!" Nora drew back, flinging her own shuriken. It fell short several feet of the mark.
Yuffie shook her head. "Watch me more closely this time." She sent another shuriken singing into dummy Jafar's chest.
Nora tried again, but to her frustration, her own weapon just clanged on the ground once more. "I don't think this is for me."
"I think you'll get it if you keep practicing," Yuffie encouraged. "Mind if I show you how to do it a little more…hands-on?"
"Go right ahead!" Nora affirmed.
As Yuffie positioned herself near Nora, gently taking the redhead's arm and pivoting her wrist, Nora felt her heart leap ever so slightly at the touch. This surprised her.
"Okay, now let 'er fly!" Yuffie commanded, letting go of Nora.
Nora flicked the shuriken, and it buried itself in a dummy Ursula's neck.
"Told you you could do it!" Yuffie said with a grin. "Keep that up and soon, you'll be able to work with one of THESE!" She lifted her hand into the air, calling up a four-pointed shuriken the size of her own head. This one was sent spinning across the yard to decapitate wooden Hades.
Both girls had their attention diverted by the sound of a Gummi ship passing overhead. Looking up, Yuffie recognized it immediately; "Hey, that's Sora!"
"Sora!" Nora echoed. "That probably means Ruby, too!"
"Let's go tell everyone!" Yuffie grasped Nora's wrist and dragged her toward the castle to inform the others of Sora's arrival.
Nora was very glad to have made a friend in Yuffie, she reflected.
...
Kairi weaved among the bookshelves of the castle library, her hand hovering over the spines of different books as she tried to select some new reading material. She wasn't sure exactly what she was in the mood for, and had no idea as to the contents of many of these books.
A voice pierced her concentration; "Mind if I make a recommendation?"
Kairi turned to see Ienzo at the long table in the library's center, with a plethora of books spread around him. "Hi, Ienzo! I didn't see you there. What were you going to suggest?"
"Two books over from where your hand is now is one of my old favorites," Ienzo said with a smile. "It isn't exactly didactic literature, but if you're looking for a good adventure, it should satisfy your needs."
Kairi removed the indicated book, a large blue volume, from the shelf, feeling the weight of it. "I think a good adventure is just what I want, now that you mention it," she commented. She crossed to the table; "Mind if I ask what you're working on?"
"I've been trying to find records of the sort of spell you said possessed your weapons," Ienzo answered. "Particularly something that can take away a weapon magically bonded to its wielder. So far, I haven't found anything, but there are older and more obscure tomes in this library I haven't touched yet. Those may just hold the key…so to speak."
"If it's there, I know you'll find it," Kairi told him. Then, after a moment's pause, she continued, "Ienzo? Do you…mind if I ask you something?"
"Go ahead." Ienzo straightened up to look Kairi in the eye. "I could use a break."
"You're older than me, so I know you remember this place better than I do," Kairi said. "I remember you a little bit. I remember liking you a lot. How close were we?"
Ienzo nearly laughed. "When Ansem first adopted me and I met you," he answered, "I was actually a little scared. You had so much energy, I didn't know how to react to you. But I soon learned you were always kind and caring to me. You had a favorite book of fairy tales that you liked to read to me over and over, and those stories became some of my very favorites. That's why I think you'll like the same fiction I do. I was sad for a very long time after losing my parents, but I was always glad to have you as essentially my sister. You and Ansem and…well."
Kairi knew what name he had cut off before. "I don't want to bring up a sore subject, so you don't have to answer me if you don't want to, but I don't remember him that well. What was he like to us?"
"Hmm." Ienzo thought on it. "Even was…very stern, always. But I think deep down, he cared. He was always careful not to let harm come to us, even when we tried our best to defy him."
"I'm sorry we couldn't – " Kairi began.
Ienzo put up a hand. "If anyone should be sorry, it's Maleficent."
"We won't give up," Kairi resolved. "I promise."
"Neither will I," Ienzo said with a firm nod.
"Thank you for answering my questions," Kairi told Ienzo warmly.
"You're welcome," Ienzo replied. His gaze then slid downward, to the table. "Kairi…"
"Yes?"
"I'm…sorry for the pain I caused your friends in Castle Oblivion. And for everything I did when I was part of the Organization. I know nothing I can do can ever really make up for it, but – "
"You already have," Kairi assured him. "I know you did bad things. But I know you've grown past them, too. It's okay. We can still be a family."
Ienzo looked back up into her eyes and could tell that she meant it.
"If you ever want to read a book together again…" Kairi went on.
"I'm not much one for reading out loud," Ienzo told her, "but I'd like to hear the way you read it to me one day."
"It's a deal."
It was then that Nora and Yuffie burst into the library, yelling at the top of their lungs, "SORA'S HERE!" They exited as soon as they'd come. Not long after, Chip poked his head into the library; "Hey, I'm not really sure what's going on, but apparently some guy named Sora is here!"
"Sora?" Kairi repeated. She turned to Ienzo. "Come on! Let's go meet him!"
...
As the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, Riku, Kairi, Jaune, Ren, Nora, the Mystic Rangers, Cadance, and Luna gathered around the landing strip, Sora's Gummi ship touched down. Its pilot and his three companions exited, and Riku found himself running toward his friend; "SORA!" It then occurred to him that he had no idea what he was going to actually do when he reached Sora.
Sora, however, had that covered. With a cry of "RIKU!", he lunged forward and practically tackled Riku in a tight embrace that Riku found himself enthusiastically returning. Then they backed off only so much that Riku's hands were still on Sora's shoulders and Sora's hands on Riku's forearms.
"I see you made some new friends," Riku observed.
"I see YOU made some new friends too," Sora added.
"What happened to you out there?"
"What happened to you to get HERE?"
Riku laughed. "Looks like we have some stories to tell each other. I know ours is long, and I bet yours is too."
"You know it," Sora confirmed. "There's just one thing we have to do first. Is Merlin around?"
"Is Merlin around!" Merlin huffed, making his way through the crowd to see Sora. "Of course I'm around! I knew there would be a very important reunion here at this place, and I made sure to be here. Now, what's happened?"
Sora stepped away from Riku, gesturing to Stork. "He's not supposed to be a bat."
"I see!" Merlin said with a pensive nod. "And what, may I ask, ARE you supposed to be?"
"I'm SUPPOSED to be a Merb," Stork answered, "though I'm sure there's about an eighty percent chance you're about to tell me I'm going to be stuck as a bat forever."
"So you're from Atmos!" Merlin realized. "A strange world, that one. Bit of an airborne hodgepodge."
"Don't mind that one," Cid snapped. "He's got somethin' like that to say about every world."
"But still a fascinating one," Merlin told Stork, ignoring Cid completely. "Now, don't you worry one bit. It should be a snap to turn you back to what you were." He reached into his sleeve, withdrawing a long wooden wand. With a flick and a twirl, he pointed the wand at the tiny green bat. Stork transformed in an explosion of sparks, finding himself in the body he was used to calling his own.
Chip, Yuffie, and Nora applauded.
Stork immediately felt himself all over, taking inventory. "Let's see…two arms, two legs, eight fingers, eight toes…yup, all seems to be here." He looked up to Merlin with gratitude. "Eheheh…thanks."
"NOW WE CAN GET ON TO TELLING OUR STORIES!" Papyrus said excitedly. "WE HAPPEN TO HAVE A VERY GOOD ONE!"
"Ours isn't…quite that good," Jaune admitted, "but you should still know."
"To the library, everyone!" Merlin commanded, and the group made their way back to the castle.
"It's good to see you again," Riku told Sora.
"You too," Sora replied.
"I hope you didn't have too much fun without me," Ruby teased Jaune.
"I wouldn't really call it 'fun,'" Jaune sighed.
"But you're all okay, right?" Ruby asked worriedly, looking around to confirm that Nora and Ren were among the group.
"Yeah," Jaune affirmed. "We are. Maybe that's what counts."
"So…are you a warrior?" Aerith asked Papyrus, taking note of his armored breastplate and cape.
"WARRIOR, FRIEND, PUZZLE MASTER, CHEF EXTRAORDINAIRE, AND MORE," Papyrus answered.
As Stork passed Ienzo, he simply said, "Nice hair."
"Same to you," Ienzo replied.
...
Yzma had decided to test Snipe's skill as a laboratory assistant. Vexen, already aware of how well this would go, got out of dodge as quickly as possible. Mim stuck around to watch the process for the very same reason.
"Hand me the jar on the top shelf," Yzma ordered Snipe. "Second from the right."
Snipe handed Yzma the second jar from the left. "Don't you know your left from your right?" Yzma barked.
"Yeah!" Snipe put out both hands before him. "The left hand is the one that makes the 'L'!" He used his left hand to trace a completely backwards L on the intersection of his forefinger and right thumb.
Yzma gritted her teeth. "Second from the LEFT, then."
Snipe handed her the jar, and she poured it into the large bowl she was using to mix her latest concoction. "I'm telling you, this spell Mozenrath is asking for, it's unprecedented!" Yzma hissed. "Does he have any idea of how difficult it is to simply create a new spell from scratch? Especially one that's based on such vague criteria as HE gave?"
"I always thought it was easy," Mim remarked.
"Then why aren't you HELPING ME MORE?" Yzma barked.
"Because I still don't feel like it," Mim answered.
"Now, for this next part, I'm going to need complete concentration." Yzma sorted out several measuring spoons. "Both of you, be quiet and don't talk until I say so."
She began to meticulously measure out powders and liquids, calculating in her head what would happen if the various components reacted to each other.
Snipe, in the meantime, had found three bottles marked "DO NOT TOUCH," "SERIOUSLY DO NOT TOUCH," and "IF YOU TOUCHED THE OTHER POTIONS, FINE, BUT DON'T COMBINE THEM WITH THIS." He proceeded to pour all three into a beaker.
The resulting explosion startled Yzma into dropping an entire vial into the mixing bowl. "What did I SAY?" She snapped at Snipe.
"You said not to talk!" Snipe responded. "I didn't talk!"
"Well, now I'm adding a new rule! Don't touch anything I don't tell you to touch!"
"But I'm bored!" Snipe groaned. "And also thirsty!" He plucked a random vial, uncorked it, and downed the contents in one gulp.
"No, DON'T – " Yzma tried to warn.
"Ah!" Snipe licked his lips. "That was good stuff! Haaaaaaaaave youuuuuuuuuu gooooooooot aaaaaaanyyyyyyyyyy moooooooooooore?" His movements were slowed down as though he were moving through a thick pool of honey; it took him twice as long as it should have to put the empty vial down on the counter.
"That was a slow motion potion," Yzma sighed. "Though I'm sure you figured that out."
"Whyyyyyyyyy diiiiiiiiiiid youuuuuuuuuu maaaaaaaake aaaaaaaaa – "
"Eh, thought it might come in handy," Yzma answered. "I had the ingredients on hand. Come to think of it, if you hadn't drunk it, I could have had some fun tricking Vexen into drinking it."
"Weeeeeeeeeeell, fiiiiiiiiiix iiiiiiiit!"
Yzma reached for a vial, uncorked it, and splashed the contents over Snipe. "And now you've put me out a super-speed potion as well," she sighed. "I had intended to use that for catching sailfish bare-handed, you know! If things keep going THIS well, I'm just going to relegate you to transportation duty. Which reminds me, I need to have you fitted for a tent you can use to carry me around."
"I was hoping there would be more things breaking," Mim huffed.
Yzma crossed the lab in an excited cartwheel, firing up several burners. "The first test sample is as good as it's going to get!" she declared. "Now, Snipe, bring it over here! I assume you can handle something as simple as crossing a room with a bowl."
"I can do that!" Snipe affirmed, picking up the mixing bowl and breaking into a full-on run.
"NO!" Yzma yelled. "DON'T RUN – I really should have just let you stay in slow motion, shouldn't I?"
Snipe skidded to a halt, thrusting the bowl at Yzma. "Here you go!" However, due to the momentum created during his jog, what he ended up doing was splashing the bowl's contents all over Yzma and Mim. "Whoops…"
Yzma was practically turning red with anger. "Sniiiiiipe," she growled, "do you know how long it took me to mix all of that?"
Mim felt a strange pulsing sensation at her neck. "What – " Realizing it was coming from the Amulet of Avalor, she removed the gem to take a look at it. It was pulsing a faint blue, like a dying heartbeat. "What was that spell supposed to do, again?"
"Locate things based on description," Yzma told Mim. "But it wasn't ready yet! Who KNOWS what effects it would have?"
"If it lets Morgana out of this amulet," Mim told Snipe, "I'll force-feed you live centipedes."
But the amulet seemed to have no intention of relinquishing its prisoner. In Mim's hand, the gem made a sudden pull, as though trying to fly toward something, but immediately settled back down. "I think it's trying to locate something!" Mim realized.
"What in the WORLDS would it be trying to locate?" Yzma wondered out loud.
"Well, what were you trying to locate with your spell?" Mim asked Yzma.
"Well, one of the things we still needed was an element of Entropy," Yzma reminded Mim. "I was going for that. You think Mozenrath will want to know about this? He's going to want to know about this. Come on; let's go!"
As Yzma and Mim turned to leave, Snipe tripped over a loose test tube he'd knocked over earlier, spilling over Vexen's table and shattering several beakers. Mim, who had still been holding out for Snipe breaking things, and Yzma, who couldn't wait to see the look on Vexen's face when he got back to see the damage, were both satisfied.
...
Mozenrath's reading in bed was interrupted by a knock on the door. He crossed the room to open it, looking at Yzma, Mim, and Snipe.
"Did you hear that?" Yzma asked.
"You…knocked on the door," Mozenrath replied.
"Exactly," Yzma told him. "I knocked, and you opened the door because you were actually ready to talk to someone. Now that you've seen someone else do it, maybe you'll give it a try yourself."
"Did you come here for any other reason than to give me a lecture on knocking?" Mozenrath asked.
"This." Yzma held out the pulsing Amulet of Avalor. "There was a bit of an…accident in the lab regarding the spell you asked me to work on, and we think it might be trying to go somewhere and locate something for you."
"Hmm." Mozenrath regarded the gem. "Where did you say this amulet came from, again?"
"Enchancia," Mim reported.
"If we want to find out what it's being attracted to," Mozenrath decided, "its homeworld is the best place to start."
"Ohhhhhhhh no!" Mim folded her arms. "I am NOT going back to that stupidly sunny world!"
"Then you can just deliver the message to everyone else that I'M going," Mozenrath told her, swiping the gem in his gauntleted hand. "I have a good feeling about this. Wherever it's trying to go is probably where I want to be."
"Well, you're not going anywhere without me," Yzma told him. "If this spell somehow went wrong, which, given what I've had to work with all day, it probably did, I want to be there."
"To make sure nothing bad happens to me because of what you did?" Mozenrath answered. "I'm actually sort of touched."
"No," Yzma grunted. "To figure out exactly went wrong so I can fix it on the next go."
Mozenrath shrugged. "I'll take it."
"We'll be taking your little token of love, by the way," Yzma told Mim.
"You BETTER bring it back," Mim insisted. "I have a nemesis in there who I'd like to keep VERY close!"
"We should probably take some form of muscle with us in case we run into trouble," Mozenrath mused. "Not that there's much I can't handle, but just in case…"
Snipe, by that point, was tired, and had decided to curl up in the middle of the hallway and go to sleep there rather than find his own room. His snoring echoed down the hall.
"...Just leave him be," Yzma advised.
"Good call," Mozenrath agreed.
...
Mozenrath very nearly teleported directly into the Huntsman's chamber, but after thinking it over, he instead appeared outside his door, knocking firmly but politely, giving the Huntsman the chance to retrieve his helmet and cover his face before answering.
The Huntsman was surprised, when he answered the knock upon his door, to see who was standing on the other side. "Mozenrath!"
"You seem surprised," Mozenrath told him.
"You knocked," the Huntsman replied dryly.
"How do you feel about a mission?" Mozenrath asked.
"What sort of mission?" the Huntsman inquired.
"Yzma botched a spell in a way that may or may not be leading us to something magically important," Mozenrath explained. "This should only be a small affair. A short trip. But just in case…"
The Huntsman nodded. "There may be unexpected dangers. And unexpected opportunities."
"Exactly. And seeing how well off we were having you around on the last mission…"
"When do we depart?" the Huntsman asked.
"As soon as Yzma finishes leaving the message about where we're going," Mozenrath told him.
Most of the occupants of the spaceborne warship had gone to sleep already, but Yzma was able to inform Aghoul and Irmaplotz that she, Mozenrath, and most likely the Huntsman would be out of commission for what would hopefully be a short excursion out; however, if they were to be gone for a while longer, no one should worry. She met back up with Mozenrath and the Huntsman, clutching the amulet's chain tightly. Every now and again, it would try to make another jerking movement, only to quiet itself down.
"Let us not waste any more time," the Huntsman encouraged.
Mozenrath cast a Corridor leading to Enchancia, and the trio walked through.
...
Sora's group told their story first, and it was well received, being the tale with a happier ending. Then Riku and his group told their story, and it left everyone feeling rather somber.
"What can Maleficent even do with Keyblades?" Sora wondered out loud. "It's not like she can use them."
"So far, I haven't been successful in any of my research on the subject," Ienzo admitted.
"That's not the only thing we have to worry about now," Leon pointed out. "Apparently, we're dealing with this 'Mozenrath' now."
"It doesn't even make sense that he's not working with Maleficent or Xehanort," Yuffie chimed in. "How many villains even ARE there?"
"We don't know he's not working with Xehanort," Sora realized.
"We do," Riku reminded him. "Xehanort is only concerned with gathering the Thirteen Darknesses and implanting his heart in them. If you add in Mozenrath's friends to the Xehanorts we already know about, it's more than thirteen. It also sounds like they're acting of their own free will."
"Xehanort especially doesn't care about the things Mozenrath has been picking up," Leon added. "Crystals. The Cornerstone of Light. Causing dissent between humans and monsters."
"None of that would feed into the Keyblade War," Ienzo affirmed.
"So you're telling me that we have to worry about THREE maniacs trying to wreak multi-world destruction in various ways with powerful allies," Stork realized.
"Welcome to our lives," Cid responded. "Also, can I just say that tellin' Maleficent you hid the Book of Prophecies was probably the STUPIDEST thing you've ever done?"
"I agree it was rash," Cadance commented, "but it was the only way to get them to leave Atmos alone."
"We just have to be on our guard," Leon stated. "This now gives Maleficent even more of a reason to target anyone close to Sora."
"Speaking of Atmos," Merlin broke in, "from what you've said, it sounds as though there's a fellow there who greatly needs my help. I should be off to take care of that, then, though I wish you all the best of luck." With that, Merlin transformed into a shooting comet of sparks that zoomed down the hallways and out of the castle, Terra-Valhalla-bound.
"So what happens now?" Madison asked.
"I don't know about the rest of you," Sora said, "but I was planning on a trip to Agrabah to find out more about this Mozenrath. Though…now that I think about it…shouldn't we find a way to replace the lost weapons first? If we really do have that many people after us, and you don't have anything to defend yourselves…"
"We do have magic," Riku confirmed, "but other than that, we are going to need something in the long run, even if it's just simple swords."
"What about those guys that fixed our weapons earlier?" Nora asked. "The Moogles? Can't they build stuff for us?"
"Not that quickly from scratch," Riku said with a shake of his head. "Not for all of us."
"But it's better to ask them than to have NOTHING, right?" Nora pressed.
"Right," Riku agreed.
"We should go down and ask them about it before we do anything else," Sora decided. "I think I'm gonna do that right now. Anyone who wants can come with me."
"I'm in," Riku said immediately.
"I would," Ruby said, "but I think I need to catch up with Jaune, Ren, and Nora."
"I'LL COME – " Papyrus began, but Ruby nudged him hard, directing his gaze to her hands, where she first pointed to Sora and Riku, then formed a little heart shape with her fingers. "OHHHHHH," Papyrus said in understanding. "ON SECOND THOUGHT, YOU TWO SHOULD DEFINITELY GO ALONE. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A MISSION FOR YOU TWO AND NOBODY ELSE. YOU MIGHT EVEN CALL IT A ROMANTIC – "
This time it was Stork who nudged Papyrus from the other side.
" – REGULAR MISSION WITH NO EXTRA CONNOTATIONS WHATSOEVER," Papyrus finished.
"O…kay?" Sora was confused.
No one else spoke up. "Looks like you two are on your own," Ruby said mischievously.
"We'll be right back!" Sora promised as he and Riku dashed out of the library.
Once everyone was sure the pair was long gone, Ruby asked, "You all see the sparks between those two, right?"
The room was filled with noises of affirmation.
...
Outside the castle, Sora and Riku were careful to keep pace with each other until Sora suggested, "Wanna race for old times' sake?"
"You know you're gonna lose," Riku laughed.
They both broke into top speed, and true to his assumption, Riku skidded into place at Mog's shop a good distance ahead of Sora. When Sora caught up, he gave Riku a playful clap on the shoulder. "Looks like you got me again."
"Maybe next time," Riku teased, reaching out to ruffle Sora's hair.
Mog flitted out front of his shop with a squeak of greeting. "Welcome, kupo! What can I do for you?"
"We've got kind of a tall order," Riku told him. He turned to Sora; "Can we even afford all this?"
"We can pick up some odd jobs around town if we need to," Sora replied. "But I've got a pretty good purse of munny."
"What do you need?" Mog asked. "I'm quite curious now, kupo! Though if it's a tall order, I'm not sure if I can get to it today. I have a very important date, kupo!"
"Oh?" Sora replied. "What are you doing?"
"Visiting someone very special," Mog answered, and Sora and Riku both noticed his snow-white cheeks grow just a touch pink. "He lives on another world, kupo, so I don't get to see him very much."
"Oh," Riku said. "We didn't want to take up your time."
"Tell me what you want anyway, kupo. I may have enough time to work something out."
"Remember the weapons I brought to you to have fixed earlier?" Riku asked. "We need those rebuilt…and seven more made."
"Oh, dear," Mog said solemnly. "That is a tall order, kupo." He appeared crestfallen for a minute, then shook it off. "But I have an idea! My special someone lives in a community of inventors and builders. Maybe they could lend a hand in making your new weapons if we all worked together! And if you helped work on them too, the price would be much more negotiable."
"That sounds great!" Sora cried.
"Are you sure we wouldn't be interrupting your date?" Riku questioned.
"He and I usually end up crafting things together anyway," Mog admitted. "It's what we love to do. If you have weapons made by the two of us, they'll be the best in the business! Do you have plans for the weapons you want, kupo?"
"Not yet," Riku answered. "Give us some time and we can have them for you."
"I need time to get ready anyway," Mog informed Sora and Riku. "Come back here when you're ready, and we'll take one of my ships."
Riku looked to Sora. "You think the others can handle going to Agrabah alone?"
"They can take care of themselves," Sora affirmed. "Besides, we'll all meet up again together after this anyway."
"I will see you in a few minutes!" Mog said excitedly before rushing off to obtain a tiny dress suit, a bouquet of fresh flowers, and a wrench.
"Y'know," Sora remarked as he and Riku took back off for the castle, "it'll be good to go out on a quest, just the two of us. We haven't had much time together since this Mozenrath stuff started."
"Yeah," Riku agreed. "I'm looking forward to it."
...
Back up at the castle, Sora and Riku collected orders for the weapons. Riku had opted for a sword, and Kairi wished to try the same. Nora and Ren wanted Magnhild and StormFlower rebuilt ("Not that the shuriken were a bad idea," Nora said quickly. "I just feel more comfortable with the hammer."). Nick, Madison, and Vida also requested swords, though the latter two had to think a bit about this decision. Chip requested a crossbow, and Xander's preference leaned toward a battleaxe.
When it came to Jaune's turn, he said, "If you're going to be building Crocea Mors from scratch…there's…something I want you to ask them to add." He handed over a piece of gold that resembled a small headdress. "Can you…can you see if they'll put this on it?"
"Sure," Sora said, taking the headdress in his hands. "What is this, anyway?"
"Something that belonged to a friend," Jaune said somberly.
"Pyrrha," Kairi realized.
Upon hearing that name, Sora became aware of the significance. He nodded. "We'll make sure it gets used."
"And…here." Jaune handed over a small bag. "It's not much, but it's all the lien I have left. To help pay for it."
Everyone else went digging around in pockets for money to add for the fund, but Leon beat them to the punch, saying, "Don't." He held up a larger purse, which he lobbed toward Sora. "Jaune, you can take your money back. Your weapons were lost during Restoration Committee business. Let the Committee handle it."
"Thanks, Leon!" Sora said in awe.
"We're happy to do it," Aerith confirmed.
"So what about the rest of you?" Sora asked as he gave Jaune back his money. "This could take a while, so we were wondering…"
"If we'd go figure out the dirt on Mozenrath?" Ruby asked. "I'm in!"
"Me too!" Kairi affirmed.
All around, there were nods and words of assent; Papyrus, Stork, Nick, Vida, Madison, Xander, Chip, Cadance, Luna, Nora, Ren, and Jaune all wanted in on the Seven Deserts venture.
"Can I go?" Yuffie begged Cid. "Pleeeeeeease?"
"You get airship sick," Cid grunted.
"I do not!" Yuffie put her hands on her hips. "I had the flu that day! I just wanna get out of this castle and have an adventure somewhere else! Please please please!"
"I'm not the boss of you!" Cid reminded her. "You wanna go, then go!"
"You kinda act like our dad sometimes," Yuffie pointed out.
"Well, I'm not! Though if that many of ya are goin' to Agrabah, I might as well be the one to take ya there. Regular Gummi ship ain't gonna hold all of ya. Time to break out the big guns."
"ROAD TRIP!" Nora cried. "Well, okay, there aren't roads involved but…you know what I mean."
"I think you're all gonna have a lot of fun in Agrabah," Sora informed the group. "All you gotta do is go up to the palace and say you know Sora and Riku. Though Kairi should have that covered."
Kairi nodded. "I've been there a couple times. It's an amazing city."
Once everyone was in agreement about their assignments, they split up, with Sora and Riku heading back to the Moogle Shop and Cid leading the ragtag group of heroes toward the Gummi garage.
...
Night had already fallen over Enchancia by the time Mozenrath, the Huntsman, and Yzma appeared on the castle grounds. The moment they set foot in the kingdom, the Amulet of Avalor squirmed in Mozenrath's hand, jerking heartily and physically begging to be let go.
"Follow it," Mozenrath commanded, tossing the amulet into the air.
It began to fly toward the castle, and Mozenrath, Yzma, and the Huntsman followed. Only once were they troubled by the night patrol of guards. After Yzma executed an elaborate series of parkour over the hedges, complete with backflips, in order to get out of sight, and the Huntsman darted from shadow to shadow, Mozenrath's attempt to sneak by completely failed; he was noticed. But before the guard could cry out, the sorcerer removed a handful of sand from his pocket and blew at the guard's face; the armored man fell fast asleep on the ground.
"Show-off," Mozenrath muttered as he passed Yzma.
"Killjoy" was her reply.
The amulet was located at one of the castle's walls, repeatedly beating itself against the stone; it wanted in. When the trio approached, the gem dropped down to the ground, then scooted up near where the wall of the castle intersected with the earth, banging against the wall there.
Mozenrath crouched to examine the spot. Curious, he swept the amulet back into his hand to examine the wall. Pressing lightly against the wall, he discovered a small panel, perhaps just big enough to accommodate a good sized rabbit, that opened up into blackness. The amulet jerked itself out of Mozenrath's grip and zoomed into the hole he had revealed.
"Well, there goes THAT lead," Yzma sighed. "Unless…hold on. I'm getting an idea. First, we'll need a sailfish – no, that's no good; Snipe used up the last of my super speed potion."
"We won't need a sailfish," Mozenrath told her sternly. "Why would we even need a sailf – actually, I don't want to know. We can still follow that amulet. Watch and be impressed."
He waved his arm upward in an arc, creating a curve of blue energy that sparkled against the dark of the night. The blue washed over himself, Yzma, and the Huntsman, and when it cleared, all three had shrunk dramatically, now just tall enough to use the newly opened passage.
"An impressive spell," the Huntsman said…before doing an immediate double take. His voice had become high-pitched and squeaky. Yzma burst out into laughter at the contrast of hearing the gravelly-voiced Huntsman with such a timbre only to realize that her own voice had undergone the same change.
"Not again," she sighed. "Why is it ALWAYS this voice?"
"It's a side effect of the shrinking spell," Mozenrath informed his cohorts. "It should wear off when we regain full size."
"'Should'?" Yzma repeated, now looking visibly nervous.
"Let's go," Mozenrath beckoned, disappearing into the black of the passage.
"I can only imagine what we've gotten ourselves into this time," the Huntsman muttered, following right after.
Bringing up the rear, Yzma giggled. "You and that voice. I just can't deal with it!"
"It's the Academy all over again," the Huntsman squeaked under his breath.
The small passage extended for several feet before opening up into what seemed to the tiny villains a cavern; in truth, it was a hallway big enough to accommodate the average sized human. Mozenrath reverted himself, Yzma, and the Huntsman to full size in order to proceed.
"Testing, testing, one two!" Yzma spoke aloud, noting gladly that her voice was back to its normal pitch. "Ah, much better."
"Mine had better be as it was as well," the Huntsman said, and was pleased to observe that it was.
"If we could all stop testing our voices for a moment," Mozenrath said, his own voice also back to normal, "I hear something interesting."
All three went silent, and the sound of water lapping was barely audible. "Water?" Yzma commented. "Here?"
"This…doesn't look like it's part of the main castle," Mozenrath observed, looking up at the dark walls. "It would be a lot better lit. I'm guessing we're in some sort of secret passageway."
"A passage that connects to an underground pool, or perhaps a river," the Huntsman filled in.
"Exactly," Mozenrath confirmed.
A few paces ahead and one stairway down, the hallway opened up into a true cavern. Mozenrath summoned a small ball of blue light into his hand to illuminate the space. The spacious area was held up by several stone pillars, and a small landing provided a place to stand at the edge of a great pool of clear blue water. The sound of water sloshing alerted Mozenrath, Yzma, and the Huntsman to the arrival of a small boat, silver and purple, studded with great violet gemstones that glimmered against the light of Mozenrath's luminescent sphere. The boat calmly sailed up to the landing, where it pulled to a stop and waited.
"It appears to have a will of its own," the Huntsman observed.
"Then let's see where it wants to take us," Mozenrath suggested.
"Is that wise?" the Huntsman asked.
"Wise or not…" Mozenrath climbed into the boat, plucking an object from the bottom of the vehicle and holding it up: the Amulet of Avalor. "It's apparently what we're looking for."
"Besides, with a boat like this, we're traveling in style," Yzma remarked, stepping gracefully over into the boat and taking a seat. "Why can't more of our lair look like this?"
"Because we want to be able to focus on our work without being visually assaulted," the Huntsman answered, getting into the boat at last. The small water vehicle took off, heading for a passageway in the wall. On the way, it passed a small well overgrown with pink and purple flowers. Mozenrath's magical light followed all the while.
"I've been thinking we should do some decorating to make the lair feel more like home," Mozenrath remarked, "but I was thinking we could go in more of a blue-and-black direction."
Before any more discourse could crop up about the appearance of the base, all three suddenly noticed the boat was passing by a strange vista. On the bank, a thick forest grew, and a small cottage was set in the midst of it.
"What IS this?" Yzma wondered out loud.
"I think it's either a larger-than-average portal or a mirage projection," Mozenrath guessed.
As the boat continued, it passed a white stairway leading upward, flanked by a chiming clock and a vaguely pumpkin-shaped carriage. "This is starting to look familiar," Mozenrath muttered.
"Perhaps this is where we're meant to disembark," the Huntsman suggested. But as soon as he made to leave the boat, the small craft sped up, leaving the stairway behind.
As it passed a pillar with a pair of high-heeled shoes wrought of glass balanced on its summit, Mozenrath sighed, "I KNOW I've seen THOSE before. Every self-respecting villain knows about those."
"Don't they belong to one of those pesky pure princesses or something like that?" Yzma asked.
"Yes," Mozenrath answered, "and so did that house we passed."
The boat was next taken past a vista of an enormous castle, with a spinning wheel mounted on the opposite bank. "I could see myself living somewhere like that," Mozenrath commented.
"Eh," Yzma said with a shrug. "It's a little plain as far as castles go."
"Is this also connected to a Princess of Heart?" the Huntsman asked.
"Actually, yes," Mozenrath confirmed. "Maybe there's more to Enchancia than we knew."
The boat sailed through a grove of seaweed, past a willow-bordered lagoon, as jets of water arced overhead. "I'm…not sure WHO this belongs to," Mozenrath admitted. "Not one of the Princesses of Heart. That I know of."
As the vessel passed through what appeared to be a flooded castle hallway, bearing a glowing red rose in a glass jar as decoration, the trio looked on with curiosity. But then it passed into a stretch of rounded towers and treasure heaps, and Mozenrath folded his arms in disgust; "Well, THIS looks a little too close to home."
"What do you mean?" Yzma asked. "Our lair looks nothing LIKE this!"
"The world you called home before meeting us," the Huntsman realized.
"Specifically, the most annoying part of it," Mozenrath grumbled.
A strong wind blew multicolored leaves past a tall cliff. "Some of these belong to Princesses of Heart, and some don't," Mozenrath muttered. "I have…no idea what this means."
"If I'd been in charge of this ride," Yzma grumbled, "it would have at least included some drops."
"And for that, we're grateful you weren't in charge of designing this canal," the Huntsman responded.
"Are you just here to mock me?" Yzma snapped.
The silver-and-purple boat floated serenely beneath an arched bridge nestled amongst cherry blossom trees, then through a thickly wooded bayou alive with the lights of fireflies, then past a tall tower barely visible in the distance and mostly hidden by cliffs and foliage. Mozenrath gestured to the last; "You know, that image came up in the Datascape in one of the worlds I was investigating. Some cataclysm caused its sun to drip onto the world's surface, and there have been legends about plants with restorative properties popping up. It looked like a good place to look for the Element of Life we need."
"And what was this world?" the Huntsman asked.
"It was dominated by a kingdom called Corona," Mozenrath replied. "From what I gathered, it's had a very complicated history in regards to the royal family."
As another castle appeared in the distance on the bank, Mozenrath observed, "Aaaaaand that would be the Coronan royal castle. Actually, forget what I said earlier. THAT's what I call a castle worth calling home. Then again, why not both, in the long run?"
Floating, illuminated paper lanterns wafted down from above; Yzma batted one out of the way. "I have had just about ENOUGH OF THIS TEDIOUS RIDE!" she seethed. But the boat wasn't done yet; it next passed a highland marked by standing stones, with a stray wooden bow lying on the bank.
"It seems all of these would have been relevant destinations," the Huntsman pointed out, "but our vessel insists on taking us right past all of them."
"We're either going somewhere better than all of this combined," Yzma hypothesized, "or right into a death trap. At this rate, my money is on the death trap."
"Let's just see this through," Mozenrath encouraged. "If nothing else, we can come back and explore later. Now that we know where everything is, teleportation should be safe."
After a brief cold wind carried a gust of snow past, the boat appeared to arrive at its final destination: a chamber where spherical crystals hung from the ceiling and jingled merrily against one another. A winding stairway carpeted in pink with a railing intertwined with flowering vines lay at the far end of this chamber, and it was here that the boat pulled to a stop. "End of the road," Mozenrath remarked. He, the Huntsman, and Yzma stood up to disembark at the same time. The sudden shift of balance toppled the boat, sending all three crashing gracelessly onto the bottom of the stair.
"We could have coordinated that better," Mozenrath grunted from beneath the weight of his two companions.
"Get off, GET off!" Yzma hissed, and all three were soon righted. They practically charged up the stairs to see what lay at the top. What they found barring the way was an enormous iron-wrought gate inset with a large keyhole.
"Anything worth locking up is something worth taking," Mozenrath said with glee. "And the bigger the lock, the better whatever's behind it."
"You don't think this needs one of those key-sword things to open it, do you?" Yzma asked.
"Maybe," Mozenrath answered. "But let's see what a little magic can do."
He placed his right hand over the keyhole, sensing strong enchantments that already pushed back at him. He pushed harder. Blue energy radiated from his gauntlet, spreading throughout the whole gate, and an audible click was heard before the gate simply rolled out of the way, revealing bright blue light beyond.
"Whoever built that lock wasn't even trying," Mozenrath remarked as he strode into the chamber beyond. Yzma and the Huntsman followed gingerly; the Huntsman withdrew his weapon just in case.
Beyond the blue light lay a sight that made Mozenrath's heart leap. He was inside a library, wide with circular walls and levels that went up as high as he could see. Shelves carved right into the wooden walls held an absolute plethora of books. In the center of the structure was a monolithic blue crystal held in a frame that curled out into artistic spirals. "I think we just hit the jackpot!" the young sorcerer cried.
"This?" Yzma looked around in confusion. "THIS is what we suffered through that dull-as-a-rock ride for?"
"Can you even imagine what knowledge these books might hold?" Mozenrath rushed toward the nearest shelf, plucking a book from it and flipping through. "Locked up like this, after a passageway that showed us scenes from various different worlds? Whatever's in here is full of secrets that no one ever wanted us to find…and we just found them. All thanks to your little accident, Yzma."
"You're…welcome?" Yzma replied.
The Huntsman took a few steps out into the center of the library. "And how are we to know what we're looking for in all of this?"
"We don't," Mozenrath babbled. "But we know how to get here. And that means we can come back as many times as we want to look through these books. We could be on the verge of discovering all the secrets of the multiverse!"
"As good as it is to see you happily in your element," the Huntsman pointed out, "the rest of us don't have that sort of time to spare." He turned his gaze to the great blue stone. "Perhaps this crystal can give us the answers we are looking for. Given its position, it may serve as a guide to the library."
"Or it might just be for decoration," Yzma suggested.
Mozenrath looked up from his book to point a gaze at her. "No one puts an enormous crystal that size in the middle of a library for DECORATION aaaaaand I just realized who I'm talking to, and you would. But most people wouldn't put it here unless it had a purpose."
He strode toward the crystal, book held tightly in hand. "Now," he muttered, "I wonder what makes you do what it is you do."
The crystal seemed to pulse, as though it were water under glass, giving off light at all angles.
Mozenrath called to mind the spell he'd once used to bring the Book of Khartoum to life. He put his right hand up, palm out, toward the crystal, letting that very spell flow through his hand. "WORK," he commanded the crystal.
As the blue energy pierced the massive stone, a stream of it diverted to surround the book in Mozenrath's hand. The book levitated into the air; the stone glowed more brightly. Once the book had settled in front of the crystal, the rock's surface shimmered, transforming into new images. "All the multiverse as we know it is made up of stories," a pleasant voice sounded from the crystal.
"What – " Yzma began.
"SHHHH!" Mozenrath hissed, stepping closer to the crystal to look at the images contained on its surface. He was shown a view of several worlds hanging in interspace. The Huntsman and Yzma shuffled in behind him to see exactly what was going on.
"Every world is made up of stories," the voice went on, "and new worlds are created as new stories are told. Some worlds play host to the intersection of stories. But there is only one world where all stories are born, and one world that all the other worlds owe their existence to." The scene changed to a dizzyingly tall tower of luminous white, the size of an entire city, standing upon a field. "That world is Fantastica.
"Fantastica is the heart of the multiverse, for it is the heart of all stories. And at the heart of Fantastica is the Empress. The Empress has gone by many different names, granted to her by many different storytellers." The scene shifted to a tiny blonde girl sitting within a bone-white pavilion, looking out over the vista of Fantastica she could see from within her sanctuary and smiling. "But one day, a storyteller came along who named her Moon Child. He saved Fantastica, and with it the known multiverse, from coming to an end. However, when he arrived within Fantastica, Moon Child disappeared without an explanation." The image of the girl faded until it was simply an empty pavilion.
The crystal continued: "The storyteller traveled far and wide across the infinite land of Fantastica, telling stories as he went in order to shape the world." The image was now that of a boy crossing various landscapes. "Sometimes, as he entered a world, he would better it." A silver city was shown bustling with people; the image zoomed in on one building, where citizens entered empty-handed and exited with armfuls of books. "But sometimes, his decisions were thoughtless, and they left Fantastica worse off." The whole city's skyline was shown once more, and the silver had tarnished and begun to crumble.
"One day, the storyteller attempted to assume the throne the Empress had left behind." The boy was shown on a throne made of mirrors, and Mozenrath couldn't help but notice the woman at the side of the throne's arm: her long red hair exactly matched the scarlet of her gown, and even from a distance, it was possible to see that she had heterochromia – one scarlet eye and one bright emerald one. "He was led to this decision in part by an evil witch who helped him gain favor with the public and arranged for his coronation, but in the end, the fault was his own. However, he was defeated and sent away." Another boy challenged the would-be emperor to a duel; the latter drew his sword only for the blade's metal to corrupt and break down. "In the end, he returned to his own world…" He was shown bathing in a white fountain before rushing toward a gate of light. "…But not without leaving several stories unfinished, and a friend vowing to finish them in his place." The "friend" shown was the boy who had triumphed over the young storyteller in battle. "To this day, many stories remain unfinished in Fantastica, and Moon Child is still nowhere to be found."
The scene changed to the very library in which Mozenrath stood. "Enchancia is the home of the Storykeeper. When the Storykeeper is first chosen to bear the Amulet of Avalor, they are responsible only for finishing the stories within Enchancia. As they grow older, they become responsible for finishing the stories of multiple worlds. The stories of Fantastica are perhaps the most important of all, and should only be taken on by a Storykeeper who believes themselves truly ready for the task. Until then, its myriad tales shall be told another time. And all of storydom who truly wish to enter Fantastica shall find a way there."
The images faded from the crystal, leaving pulsating blue once more. The book dropped onto the floor. Mozenrath, Yzma, and the Huntsman stared in awe. Yzma was the first to break the silence: "I'm pretty sure that wasn't meant for us."
"Do you realize what we've just learned?" Mozenrath asked, practically trembling from the revelations.
"A great much about our existence," the Huntsman answered. "I find it rather concerning that we may, in the grand scheme, be only playthings to certain ambitious storytellers."
"NOT THAT," Mozenrath growled, turning to face his companions. "The Empress of ALL OF EXISTENCE TOLD IN STORIES, INCLUDING OUR WORLDS, is missing. Fantastica is repairing itself from some wannabe emperor ruining it. This is our chance to take the most important throne there ever will be. Imagine if WE ran Fantastica. Think of what we could do if WE took over THE BIRTHPLACE OF ALL STORIES."
"It can't be easy," the Huntsman cautioned. "But I can see there's no talking you out of this."
"We might not even NEED the conquest spell anymore if we can pull this off," Mozenrath gushed, breaking out into a wide and honest smile.
"And how are you suggesting we even find this world?" Yzma asked. "We don't know the way!"
"Someone wasn't paying attention." Mozenrath wagged a finger in her face. "Anyone in another story who truly wishes to enter Fantastica can find the way there."
His mere speaking of the words triggered a glow in the library; suddenly, a part of space seemed to melt away, forming a portal to somewhere else without the use of Darkness. Mozenrath gestured to the newly opened door; "I rest my case."
"Should we gather any of the others?" the Huntsman asked. "This mission seems far too complex to take with only three."
"By the time we go back to get them, the portal might close!" Yzma hissed. "Besides, I don't want Snipe sticking his nose into things and botching them up. We can just do what we always do and pick up a stray once we get there."
"I would like to know more about that witch in red," Mozenrath confessed. "If she was so eager to crown one emperor, we might be able to talk her into another. If she's reasonable, that is. Beyond that…Huntsman, do you really doubt me that much?"
"'Doubt' is not the word," the Huntsman explained. "I have more than enough faith in you, and you should know that well by this point. I simply want to be prepared in case of extenuating circumstances like those we faced in Atmos."
"And what happened when we were up against impossible odds in Atmos?" Mozenrath prodded.
"We…left with what we came for," the Huntsman admitted.
"We'll be fine," Mozenrath insisted. "I could even do this with one hand tied behind my back. Of course, it would have to be the left one…"
The Huntsman found himself with a rather strange sensation. He had faith enough in Mozenrath, but he had also seen the sorcerer defeated by Piper and heard tell of the same happening when Mozenrath had gone up against Sora in Radiant Garden. He was now infinitely glad he'd agreed to come along on this mission. This way, he could…he hesitated to think the words. "Protect Mozenrath." Protecting was something he wasn't used to doing, or even wanting to do. But the raven-haired sorcerer was valuable to him, more so than anyone he'd ever met among the Huntsclan. His grip tightened on the huntstaff. He vowed then and there to cut down anything and everything in Mozenrath's way.
Yzma, on the other hand, was thinking about what decorations and frivolities would be necessary for a proper coronation after a violent usurping.
Mozenrath folded his arms. "The gauntlet isn't putting any skin back on my bones over here."
"Right," Yzma said, snapping out of her reverie of imaginary confetti and brass bands. "Onward!"
"Indeed," the Huntsman agreed.
The trio stepped out of the Enchancian library and into Fantastica, upon which the rift between the two worlds abruptly closed.