Derek and "Odette" kept on dancing through the music as it was still playing. But as the prince looked at her, he felt something suspicious about this princess.
"Something about you seems… I don't know, different." said Derek as he spoke to her.
But then "Odette" grabbed out the heart-shaped necklace and show it to him as she smiled.
"Don't worry. After tonight, everything will be perfect." she said ans Derek smiled back.
"Yes, yes of course." he said as he put the necklace on her and looked at Rogers. "Rogers, I want to make an announcement. Stop the music." he said, and Rogers stopped the band.
A mile away from the castle, Madison and Odette kept on flying until they saw the castle from the distance.
"There it is!" Odette pointed as she kept on flapping her wings but was worried about Derek.
Once they finally got close to the castle, Madison followed Odette as she heading to one of the large windows. The two looked through to see that they found the ballroom. After all, the room is crowded full of guests, but as the looked at the middle of the room, they saw Derek but with a woman that looks exactly like Odette. The princess gasped in horror to see the imposter with her prince.
Madison looked shocked as well to see the imposter but as she looked around, she noticed one person that is not with the prince.
"I don't see Alex anywhere." she spoke as she kept looking. Now it's getting her worried and then looked at the princess. "Find a way to stop Derek. I need to find Alex."
Odette nodded her head and watched her friend flew off until she heard Derek's voice starting to speak.
"Kings and queens… Ladies and gentlemen… Mother." he spoke as Uberta started to cry. "I have an announcement to make. Today I have found my bride."
The crowd cheered and applauded for the prince as he was with the fake princess, but the real princess wasn't too happy.
"No. Derek, no, it is a trick!" she cried but no one could hear her.
Madison, on the other hand, was flying around the castle to find her boyfriend. Wondering and worried about what has happened to him, until suddenly, she stopped and let out a gasp as she saw two people at a balcony. One was indeed Alex but the other... looked exactly like Madison.
"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no!" she panicked and quickly flew towards them for a close look as she starting to hear their conversation.
The fake girl looked at Alex with love in her eyes but as she looked at him, she notices that the eyes looked troubling.
"What's the matter my sweet? Is something wrong?" she asked him in concern.
"Nothing... It's just that you look... I don't know, different."
"I don't feel any different, Alex. I'm still me, am I?" the fake one answered as smiled to him.
Alex didn't say to word as he couldn't find a way to answer it. "Madison" wrapped her arms around his neck as her face was getting closer to his.
The real Madison whispered 'no' a few times as she was panicking. Theories were coming through her head like, what if Alex was hypnotized with the fake one? What if stays a swan forever if Alex loved her? Or worse! What if... she goes through the same fate as Odette? Madison wouldn't want that. What about her family? Her friends? Her Alex?
"I love you, Alex! I always loved you ever since we met at my home." says the fake one.
Madison stopped thinking for second. Did that fake one actually said, 'my home'? She then looked at Alex and notice a blank look on his face. As she looked at his eyes for a quick moment, she notices what that meant. They were suspicious but not showing that to the fake one.
"I do have something to say to you." Alex spoke as he wrapped his arms around the fake Madison.
The fake one smile as she felt his close to the side of her face and felt his lips close to her ear. She was waiting for him to say something as she smiled more. But it wasn't just a smile. A sly, sinister smile that looked evil and her eyes are red. Her hands suddenly turned into smoke as it was going around Alex's body. Madison watched as she feels like the imposter was about to do something until...
"You're not Madison." Alex whispered.
The fake Madison's face became frown with shock, her red eyes turned back to normal, and the smoke formed back to normal hands. "Madison" quickly looked at Alex as she saw a serious look on his face.
"W-What? What did you say?" she asked in confusion.
"I said, you are not my Madison. You're an illusion of my girlfriend that a dark wizard was trying to trick me."
"Alex... you must be mistaking. I am your girlfriend, and I love you!"
"No, you don't. You're just using me for trickery. There are two reasons that you are not her. One: we never really met at her home." Before Alex could finish his reasons, he spread his fairy wings out to show. Leaving the fake one with a shock look on her face. "We met at my home. The Fairy Kingdom where the real Madison rescued a small elf child from a hole. And two: ... You're not wearing the necklace."
The fake Madison's eyes grew wide as she heard those words especially the word 'necklace'. Suddenly, she heard something. She slowly turned her head to see a swan with a glowing necklace. Her eyes grew wider as she realized who that swan was until a beam blast at her. The fake disappeared right in front of Alex. He blinked a few times from the bright light but looked to see the familiar swan landing on the balcony and looked at him. Alex kneeled down as he stared at the swan, placing his hand on her feathery cheek.
"Maddie." he spoke softly to her.
"Alex..." Madison smiled to him as both her necklace and Alex's ring glowed.
Alex put his forehead on the swan's head, feeling the same warmth of love between the two.
"My princess..." he spoke softly again to her.
"Oh Alex..." she replied, even though he can't understand her, or so she thought. "I was worried. I was so worried that you were in trouble and that fake version of me almost tricked you."
"Nothing can't trick me."
Madison smiled for a moment until her eyes grew wide. She moved a few steps from him and looked surprised.
"Wait a minute... Alex? Did... did you just...?"
The fairy nodded with a smile on his face. He leaned towards Madison and placed a kiss on her forehead and wiped the tears from her eyes. Madison smiled from her beak and felt that her heart felt whole again until...
"DEREK! NO!"
Madison's thoughts were snapped back into reality as she along with Alex heard a cry from a familiar voice. Madison knew who that voice was and started to panic.
"Oh, no! Odette!" she turned to Alex as he looked shocked, "Alex, go to Derek! See what's been happening. I need to help the princess."
As Madison quickly starts flying, Alex quicky dashed back inside the castle and ran down the halls towards the ballroom. He did put his wings away, but he started to think about seeing his girlfriend as a swan still, and so was Odette, which means that Derek must have made a vow to the fake version of the princess.
As he finally reached to the ballroom, Alex tried to go through the crowd as they were cheering for the prince. Some of the guests won't move for him and it was hard to see Derek in front of the crowd. Suddenly, the lights from the candles went out, window shutters start opening from the strong wind, and the doors burst opening. The guests along with the prince turned to see a man standing at the entrance as lightning flashed behind him. Alex did get a good look at him and starting to think who that man was. It was Rothbart.
"No more Mr. Nice Guy, no sirree! " He sang and laugh.
Derek looked strangely at the stranger as he stood in front of "Odette" as the dark wizard walked slowly towards him. Alex finally got through the crowd as he now got a good look of the scene.
"Hello little prince." the sorcerer greeted.
"Who are you?!" Derek asked with a stern tone, but the wizard smiled.
"Went and pledged your love to another, eh?"
Derek looked confused as he looked at "Odette" and looked back at Rothbart, but Alex knew what the wizard was talking about.
"What are you talking about? This is Odette."
"No, Odette is mine." he replied.
Derek looked at him with confusion, wondering who he was and what he was talking about, but then a realization came to him as he remembered what his princess told him about.
"It's you! You have no power here. I made a vow… A vow of everlasting love."
Rothbart started to laugh, leaving the prince confuse.
"Oh, you made a vow, all right. A vow of everlasting... death!" he replied and then he used his powers, zapping towards the fake princess.
"No!" Derek cried as he saw her on the ground and quickly ran towards her. "Odette!"
Alex watched as he saw what was happening, but as Derek got to "Odette", he gently lifted her up and felt the "princess" moving until. The cackle came out of and looked at the prince. Derek gasped and face looked disgusted, seeing that "Odette" was really the old hag. The old woman stopped laughing and made kissing noises as she was trying to kiss him. The prince couldn't believe that he has been tricked and then glared at the dark wizard.
"You should have left her to me. Now Odette will die." said Rothbart as he pointed at the window.
Both Derek and Alex looked up to see where the wizard was pointing at. They saw two swans flying away. One was a strong flyer but the other was flying weak. Both of the boys could tell that the strong flyer was Madison, and the weak one was Odette.
"Odette!" Derek shouted but the swans couldn't hear him.
Odette kept on flying but panting as she was feeling weak while Madison was by her side, helping her. For a quick moment, Derek and Alex left the castle as they were riding their horses and following the swans. Alex, however, have felt a little lucky that he wasn't spotted by Rothbart. Thinking more about the fake Madison, he thought that Rothbart must have known that he had the necklace and decided to trick him. But that didn't fool him now that his girlfriend is wearing the necklace.
"Odette!" Derek cried out to her, but the princess didn't hear him.
"She's fading fast, little prince." Rothbart's voice echoed as he was talking to him.
"No!" the prince shouted as he won't believe him.
The girls kept on flying, but Madison kept on helping the princess as she about to slow down and gasping for air.
"Keep going Odette. Don't slow down. We're almost to there to the lake." Madison spoke to her.
Derek and Alex kept on riding, they were getting close to the lake, but then they heard Rothbart's evil laugh that echoed everywhere. At the Swan Lake, the animals heard the laugh. They felt a strange feeling and they're starting to get worried.
"Something's gone wrong." said Puffin.
In the dungeon, Bromley heard it as well, feeling shaking as he was scared.
The boys kept on galloping until their horses stopped, seeing that there was no path but trees.
"If you hurry, little prince, I'll let you see her one last time." Rothbart's voice spoke.
Derek and Alex tried to make their horse to go forward, but they refused. No other choice as the boys got off ran off, heading straight to the abandon castle and the lake.
To Be Continued...