Inside the abandoned castle, where everything was so dusty and ruined, Rothbart burst the doors open as he and old woman went in.
"No matter what they do, I'm always one step ahead. On the other hand, Prince Derek's vow could ruin everything." he said, "I'm going to have to deal with him… But how?"
The old woman looked at Rothbart for a moment as the dark wizard tries to think. She thought with him as well and just when she was trying to speak, Rothbart has already spoke as he thought of something.
"The vow! I'll get Derek to offer his vow to the wrong princess!" he said, and he looked at the woman as she smiled, batting her eyelashes and give him a little wave. "That's it!" he laughs as he had a plan, "I'll make you look like Odette."
The woman smiled more as she was trying to act like a princess.
"Well, that's going to take a lot of work, but it'll be worth it." Rothbart spoke more with his plan. "Because when he makes his vow to the wrong girl, Odette will die, and I'll finish Derek off myself. As for the other girl, Madison, I'll have to create an illusion for that other man that the prince was with. All he has do is hand over the necklace to the fake one, I'll have it and become the most powerful sorcerer of all the land. No... the entire world. And for Madison, will stay as a swan for eternity." Rothbart chuckled more, "Oh, I love it! I mean, this is really classy… This is me!"
Suddenly, a spotlight appeared on him, and he started to sing.
Rothbart: Gosh it's such a hoot to see them quaking
When I'm king they'll treat me with respect
I can't wait to watch their poor hearts breaking
So much for politically correct
With his magic, he made the room look unruined and clean and a lot of people appeared around. He causes mischief and the old woman had her eyes set on the illusion of the Chamberlain.
Rothbart: Up 'til now I've pulled my punches
I intend to eat their lunches
No more Mr. Nice Guy, not for me
If you think that I'm hard-hearted
Well, let me by, I haven't even started
Rothbart and Backup Singers: No more Mr. Nice Guy, no sirree
Rothbart: Soon as my witchcraft has zinged 'em
I'll gain control of the kingdom
As for Odette, well that's tragic
Cause I'm going back to that
Rothbart and Singers: Old black magic
With more of his power, Rothbart created more illusions of people. Which is the queen, Rogers, Alex, Derek, Odette, and Madison. He starts messing around with them as he continues singing.
Rothbart: Good behavior is so much duller
Time to show my one true color
Rothbart and Singers: Baby, Mr. Nice Guy's history
Rothbart: Vengeance is what I believe in
I don't get mad, I get even
Odette can't get to the ball 'cause I won't bring her
So, I'll zap up a date
Rothbart and Singers: Who's a real dead ringer
Rothbart created an illusion around the old woman into a figure of Odette. Including her face. He then created an illusion of Madison only instead the swan gown that she was wearing was all black like Odette's with a bit of silver lining.
Rothbart: Up to no good, I love plottin'
Cause I'm so good when I'm rotten
Rothbart and Singers: No more Mr. Nice Guy, wait and see
Singers: Wait and see
Rothbart (and Singers): I'll become that nasty, naughty
Petty, spiteful
Wicked, wayward
Way delightful
Bad guy I was born to be
Old Woman: One more time!
Rothbart: Lying, loathsome
Never tender
Indiscreet
Repeat offender
No more Mr. Nice Guy, that's not me
Singers: Do do do
As the song was over, everything was back in ruined and the woman was hanging by the chandelier while Rothbart left and laugh saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
At Uberta's castle, the servants were decorating in the ballroom while Roger was rehearsing the musicians with his music that he composed. The queen was smiling with excitement as she was arranging flowers, mostly roses, in a vase and some in her hair by one of her servants. Suddenly, she heard the doors open and heard a voice that she knew dearly.
"Mother, have you seen-" the prince spoke as he and Alex went in.
"Oh, Derek!" the queen interrupted as she continued arranging the roses and the servant was still putting more in her hair.
"What are these?" Derek questioned as he and Alex looked at the flowers.
"Roses."
"They're red."
"Of course, they're red." Uberta smiled.
"But mother, I don't want red roses." Derek took the vase from the pillar and pulled out a single rose to Uberta, "I want white. Like a swan. Have you seen Bromley?"
"No." she answered as she took the vase from her son and place them back on the pillar.
"Has anyone seen Bromley?" Derek asks but the maids and servants shook their heads.
"Maybe he's still in the forest." Alex spoke as he remembered the last time Bromley was with him and Derek.
"Couldn't be. Last time, when he gets lost or... being scared, he always runs back home." the prince replied and then he turned around to see a servant holding a tray of food that don't seem edible and too fancy. Derek picked up the tray from him and spoke, "Would you feed this to a swan?"
"I..." the servant shook his head as he looked confused.
"Take it back." Derek pushed the tray to the servant that cause him to rapidly, "Get something light, something fresh."
'Derek is really obsessed with swan lately ever since we found his princess and my girlfriend.' Alex thought as he looked at the prince who just turned to face Rogers and his musicians.
"No, no, no, no, no, Rogers, hold it." he spoke, and Rogers stopped the band with a confused look.
"What's wrong?"
"Tonight, the music must be played rubato, soft and graceful, like a swan."
"A swan?" Rogers questioned as he looked more confused.
"Have you ever seen a Swanna, Rogers?" Derek asked as he hand poked around Rogers like a bird.
"Of course, I've seen a swan." he replied as he looked annoyed being poked around by the prince's hand.
"If you could play a swan, what would it sound like?" Derek asked.
Rogers looked at his band and pointed to one of the instruments which it was a tuba that made the horn honk so loudly. Rogers laugh but Derek looked at him.
"Soft and graceful, Rogers." he said to him and then turned to his mother, "Where is Bromley?"
"No one has seen him, Derek." Uberta answered as she was holding a bouquet of flowers in her arm and the servant was still decorating her hair.
"You're kidding! Who's going to be my best man?" he asked as he smiled.
"Best…? You mean?" Uberta looked at him by surprised and laugh with delight.
Alex smiled a little as he looked at the queen's excitement about Derek found himself a bride but had no idea that the bride is actually Odette. Suddenly, he heard soft music playing so beautifully that it was Rogers and the musicians playing.
"There you go, Rogers, that's the stuff." Derek spoke with a smile on his face and danced around.
The servants were quite shocked as they looked at the prince. They don't know what's got into him and of course some of the servants didn't look to where they are going.
"Come on, mother." said Derek as he grabbed his mother's hand and danced around the ballroom.
Laughing with joy from the queen, Derek dipped her in the punch, had her hair wet.
Uberta smiled at her son, "Don't be so secretive, Derek, tell me who she is."
Derek spun her around, causing the punch in her hair to sprinkle around and Rogers got splashed into some. Derek laughs as he threw roses around knowing that the ball will be perfect. Alex chuckled at the scene and was happy for his friend, but also felt concern and another feeling he felt like something bad was going to happen tonight and worried about Madison.
At Swan Lake...
Odette and Madison were in their swan forms, prisoned in a watery dungeon. It was already dark and there was indeed no moon tonight. Madison held her head down, feeling heartbroken and felt that Rothbart will hurt his Alex. Suddenly, some roses have fallen down towards the princess and Madison moved her eyes up to see that it was Rothbart who threw them as he was at the window.
"It hurts me to lock you up, Odette. Hurts me deep. But then, a king's day is full of tough decisions. You understand." he said.
Odette glared at him as she destroyed one of the roses and look away. Madison did the same thing too, but with a sad look.
"Oh... now you're mad at me again." Rothbart spoke as he was still eyeing at the princess. "Doggone it, I can't do nothing right! Head full of pudding. That's me. Well, I can't leave you like this. If you're not happy, I'm not happy. Hmm… I know! If you can't attend the ball, then I'll bring the ball to you! Let's see… the first thing you need is a young man. The prince is busy, of course, but I think I can arrange a substitute."
Another window opened and the woman appeared as he was holding on to a scared man. It was Bromley. Odette and Madison looked shocked to see him as he was trying to resist from being pushed by the old hag.
"No, please, I beg you, please!" he cried as he was trying to get away from the edge.
"Oh, poor fella. He got lost in the woods." said Rothbart.
With one final push from the old hag, Bromley fell into the water. Odette and Madison quickly came to him and helped the average man led to the chains for him to hold onto. Bromley look up to Rothbart.
"Help! Don't go!" he said but Rothbart ignored his plea.
"Oh, I'd love to stay but if I don't leave now, I'll be late; that's tacky." he said but looked at Odette who was still glaring at him. "D-don't give me that look, missy, had to be sneaky, didn't you? Had to drag your weakling prince into it, didn't you? That's fine with me, just fine with me!" he yelled and slammed the window closed, leaving Odette, Bromley, and Madison alone in the dungeon.
Outside at the lake, Jean-bob, Puffin, and Speed were looking at the castle, knowing that their friends: princess and Madison are in there. The three looked at each other and decided that they need to think of a plan to help them escape.
"Any ideas on how to get them out?" Speed questioned as he looked at the frog and the puffin.
"Non. Nothing on my mind." Jean-bob replied.
"I'm working on one." said Puffin.
"Well, that's a first." the frog spoke sarcastically.
Puffin starts pacing back and forth, trying to think of something to help the girls escape and get to Derek's castle for the ball. Just as continued pacing, the bird suddenly stopped as he came up with a plan until his thoughts were interrupted as they heard a sound.
"Did you hear something?" Puffin questioned as he looked at the two.
"What?" Jean-bob questioned as he looked around, but he didn't see anything, "Are you hearing things, Puffin?"
"I swear I heard something."
"I heard it too." said Speed.
"Oh...Here we go! Hearing things that are not here!" said the frog until the bird shushed him.
All three stood quiet and stood still as they tried to hear something. They only heard the sounds of crickets and other frogs but then they heard rustling sounds. The three looked at the direction to where the bushes are and saw leaves moving a little. Jean-bob shook with fear as he starts hiding behind Speed and Puffin raised his wings up as he was ready for action to fight. The rustling kept on being louder until a shadow popped out. Jean-bob let out a scream and hid inside the turtle's shell. Puffin let out a leap and was ready to do karate chop at the shadowy figure but then stopped to see that the figure was only a lizard. A Bearded Dragon with a gem on his collar and was holding something shiny in his mouth. It was Zor with the necklace.
"Wha-!?" Jean-bob peaked through the shell to see the Bearded Dragon.
The lizard dropped the necklace and looked at the three.
"Hello. Sorry if I startled you, but I am looking for someone." the Bearded Dragon spoke to them.
The three looked at each other and looked back at the reptile.
"Who are you little lizard?" Jean-bob questioned as he eyed at him.
"Am I called Zor. And who are you calling me a lizard, amphibian? I am a ferocious dragon!" Zor replied with a mighty voice but then turned down to a lower, normal tone, "Only in disguise as a Bearded Dragon of course."
"Amphibian? Amphibian?!" Jean-bob shouted in defense as he jumped out of Speed's shell and marched towards him. "I'll have you know that I'm a..."
Suddenly, he was stopped by Speed as he had his foot on the frog's webbed foot. The frog screeched in pain and turned to glare at the turtle.
"Would you relax?" Speed questioned the frog.
Zor just looked at the two as they were bickering but then noticed that Puffin was close to him. Eyeing at him.
"May I ask who you are my little friend and why you're here? You're not one of Rothbart's spy pets, are you?"
"Of course not. I am Zor and I am a dragon." Zor answered and showed the bird his collar. "My mistress created this collar that gave me the same powers as hers and to change. Which is why I'm in my disguise as a Bearded Dragon."
"Ah..." Puffin spoke as he realized who the lizard's mistress is. "You're Maddie's pet."
"I would say her loyal companion but yes. But right now, I need to where she is." said Zor as he picked up the necklace with his mouth but spoke with his mouth full. "I need to give this to her."
"I'm afraid Rothbart has locked her up in a watery dungeon along with Princess Odette." Puffin answered sadly.
Zor looked shocked and then looked at the abandon castle as he imagines Madison being trapped in there.
"Then I need to get there. My mistress needs me, and my master needs her."
"That's why I'm trying to come up with an escape plan." said Puffin.
"You better think it quick." said Jean-bob.
"I'm working on it, Jean-Bob!"
Zor watched the puffin as he continued pacing. While he was trying to think and the turtle along with the frog waited, Zor looked up at the tower, hoping that his friend is doing alright as he kept the necklace close to him.
To Be Continued...