So sorry this took SO LONG to publish! In the writing world, I was busy writing stuff for all the stuff goin' on in October; The anniversaries for Once Upon a Studio, Thomas and Friends, and DreamWorks itself, plus all the parts to the 10 Nights of Halloween. Then there was the stuff for the holidays in November and December.
And I had A LOT to work with. So much so, I had to split this down to two separate chapters like GlomTales.
But now I have one last chapter for this story for the year! And things are about to get intense!
Enjoy!
"That's the terrible magician from your stories?!" Sora said in shock.
"I'll admit, I thought he'd be taller." Myde commented, only to be silenced by Isa's glare which read, "Zip it!"
"Yeah, the one and only bastard from our past." Donald said, scowling at Merlock.
"So you decide to show your furry face after all these years." Della glared.
"And you sided with a bunch of our other enemies?" Scrooge asked. "Never thought someone as powerful as you would take orders from an imbecile like him."
"I'm standing right here, McDuck!" Glomgold scowled.
"Oh, he knows." Ma Beagle smirked, much to the fake-Scottish duck's irritation.
"Flintheart Glomgold may be an idiot, but he does have the right idea in taking all of you down." Merlock replied. "I've been biding my time since Donald and Webby rescued Daisy from my clutches."
"We took you down once, we can do it again!" snarled Webby.
"Not this time, Pinky!" Magica huffed. "For you see, our team is much stronger than it was last time!"
"We have more allies on our side!" said Karnage. "Each one representing a member of this wretched family!"
Glomgold pulled out his picture. "I had to make some alterations since last time. As you can see from this carefully crafted picture that yours truly made, I am Scrooge, Catherine is Beakley, Steelbeak is Launchpad, the Beagle Boys are Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Black Heron is Webby, Magica is Lena, Black Arts is Violet, Felldrake, Sheldgoose, and Leopold are April, May, and June, Beaks is Daisy, Karnage is Della, and, of course, Merlock is Donald."
Everyone blinked.
"Okay, I can see why some are some, but the rest… not really." said Lea.
"Did you seriously had to put Magica as 'the me.'" Lena scowled.
"Why not? I am your creator." Magica smirked.
"Not a very good one." Della sneered. "That's right, I know what you did to her, De Spell!"
"Oh don't worry, she won't have to put up with me anymore once I finish her for good!" Magica snapped back.
"Over our dead bodies!" Beakley growled.
"That will be the intention, Agent 22." smirked Heron.
Then they heard Lena mockingly clap for Magica and began to do it louder and louder.
"Bravo, bravo, De Spell!" Lena said mockingly. "You actually proved yourself to be even more pathetic since the sleepover. You usually do the world-ruling solo, yet you stoop to sharing it. You're so desperate for power at this point that it's just downright hilarious!"
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Magica screamed and Lena stopped clapping.
"Your mere existence offends me, Aunt Magica. Why don't you quit that?" Lena snarked.
"Nice comeback, Lena!" Louie praised.
"Yeah, stick it to that witch!" Webby praised.
"What did you just say to me?!" Magica asked, her eyes twitching.
"You come to my turf whining about living without magic, and you have the nerve to talk about YOUR revenge! You should keep YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" Lena roared.
Everyone on both sides was taken aback.
"Damn. She's brutal." commented Pence.
"I don't blame her after all the shit this bitch forced her to endure." said Hayner.
"No one talks to me that way!" Magica shouted.
"You don't have a right to talk about revenge!" Lena screamed. "You may have lost your magic, but you were still alive! Me, I think I would've preferred being dead over being stuck in the Shadow Realm! Do you have any idea what I went through!? What it's like to be invisible to the entire world!? To the people I care about!? Not being able to talk or even touch them! And the worst part is, I was all ALONE! It was worse than hell, and it's all YOUR FAULT! If anyone here has a right to talk about revenge, it's ME!"
The Guardians gave Lena looks of sympathy and Louie and Webby comforted her.
"You know nothing, you imbecile! Living without magic is a fate worse than death for me! Not to mention your inexcusable betrayal! You ruined everything you miserable little scumbag! How dare you betray your creator! I could've had my revenge and ruled this world! I HATE YOU!" Magica screamed.
"Like I care that you hate me." Lena smirked. "I quit. I'm free now. To think I was nice to you all those years. It makes me wanna puke!"
Magica chuckled. "That's right. Get it all out, you little whelp. Live boldly, even if it is for a few short moments. No matter what you say, that still doesn't change the fact that you are a miserable disappointment, Lena. And to think we used to have so much fun when you were my little pet."
"I was never your servant Magica, I only used you for my own agenda." Lena reminded. "And that was to get as far away from you as possible."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, I really don't care." said Magica.
Mickey stepped forward. "Enough of this!" he said firmly. "You villains are trespassing on royal property!"
"And after all the trouble every single one of you has caused throughout the years, you will be punished for this!" Minnie added sternly.
"I oughta place you under arrest!" Goofy added, glaring.
The villains laughed.
"You?! Arrest us?!" laughed Ma Beagle.
"That's the best joke I've ever heard!" chortled Steelbeak.
Leopold laughed so hard he fell on his back and clutched his tummy.
"That thing scares me…" said Violet, pointing.
"And for your information, we're not going anywhere!" sneered Heron.
"We've come this far to take down the Duck/McDuck family, and we aren't gonna stop now!" said Glomgold.
"We are more powerful than ever!" said Magica. "Both in skill and power!"
"Especially since they brought me into this group." Merlock added, stepping forward. "Idiotic as some of them are…"
"Hey!" Glomgold, Sheldgoose, and Leopold said, offended.
Merlock pretended not to hear them. "They have proven themselves to be quite the villains. And in mere minutes, this castle, the kingdom, and then the whole world will belong to us!"
Sora bravely stepped forward.
"Sora, come back!" Donald gasped.
"What are you doing?!" Daisy cried.
Sora came face to face with the terrible magician. "You talk the big talk, Merlock. But what your friends didn't tell you is that all of them have gotten their asses kicked by all of us at one point or another." he said, folding his arms. "And if you think your little invasion plan to take over this castle is gonna work because of a team up, then you are damn wrong!"
Merlock chuckled. "Ah, the Keybearer Sora. I have heard of you. Bold, brave, kind, yet foolish and naive at the same time. You yourself talk a big game… but thanks to the Organization, we actually have the better advantage."
"I'm not scared of you!" Sora growled.
Merlock smirked darkly. "Oh… but you will be…"
FLICK!
Out of the blue, Sora was flicked by Merlock in the forehead… and knocked into the air!
Everyone watched in shock as a screaming Sora flew over them and crashed into the wall with a gasp. He then fell off the wall and landed on the ground.
"SORA!" everyone cried.
Riku and Kairi ran up to him, trying to help their friend up.
"Sora, are you alright?!" Riku asked.
Sora gave him a dazed smile. "Thanks, Riku. I'll have the veal piccata." Sora replied as he fell over with a THUMP. (1)
"AAAAAAnd… he's out of it." Myde said.
"And that's merely level 1." Merlock joked.
"And it's only the beginning of our plan!" Glomgold added.
"We don't care if your plan actually works or not, you are not getting away with this!" Della growled.
"Yeah! We all have taken you down one way or another before!" Donald said in agreement. "Even your crazy team up won't work, you big palookas!"
"And did you bozos not see you're outnumbered by 23 Keyblade wielders and a bunch of fighters?!" Dewey added, smirking.
"And nine of us got powers!" June added.
"Courtesy of me, if you weren't paying attention." smirked Lena.
"Oh we know we're outnumbered." said Magica. "But it's going to work to our advantage very soon…"
"What advantage?" asked Terra. "None of you have no greater power over any of us."
"Yeah, the Cornerstone is making sure that's possible." added Roxas.
"Check and mate, you filthy animals." smirked Max.
"Oh, we're fully aware. By the numbers and taking into account that the Cornerstone has weakened us, it's clear we cannot defeat you in our current state. We're not foolish enough to fight you…yet. Right now, we're just stalling you." Merlock explained.
The Guardians and McDuck raised their eyebrows in confusion.
"Stalling us? For what?" Riku asked.
"Well, if you must know, our mutual friend Pete is on his way to destroy your Cornerstone of Light." Glomgold answered.
"WHAT!?" The Guardians exclaimed in horror.
Beaks received a post on his phone. "Ooh! Hey, check out this post from Pete."
He presents a picture of Pete in front of the Cornerstone, giving a two-fingered salute.
"Looks like he's inside your little secret room where you keep that stone thing." said Beaks.
"And Mortimer's his back up." added Heron. "Who do you think took the photograph?"
"What the hell!?" Lea exclaimed. "How…!?"
"That's impossible!" Della exclaimed in surprise. "Pete and Mortimer are in the castle!? Minnie, I thought you banished Pete to another dimension like over a decade ago! And wasn't Mortimer banned from ever stepping foot near this place?!"
"I did banish Pete for causing so much trouble during the Dream Festival. But Maleficent freed him and he has been working for her ever since." Minnie explained to Della. "And Mortimer was recruited to their side months ago."
"Wait! How are they already in the Cornerstone Room!?" Daisy asked.
"I think the bigger question here is how they got into the castle in the first place!" Mickey exclaimed. "They shouldn't have been able to with our castle's upgraded security systems!"
Suddenly, Mickey got a call on his Gummiphone and picked it up, finding Chip and Dale on screen.
"Chip? Dale?" said Mickey.
"Uh…Mickey, we've got a problem. The castle's security system has been completely disabled." said Chip.
"What!? Disabled!? How!?" Mickey asked in disbelief.
"Someone hacked into our systems and deactivated every camera and weapon we had for keeping out intruders! That's how Pete was able to get in undetected." Dale explained.
"And now we can't seem to get them back on! We're locked out our own systems now!" Chip finished.
The call hung up and Clan Glomgold grinned at the Guardians of Light and Clan McDuck's shock.
"No…it can't be!" Minnie exclaimed, horrified.
"How did this happen, Mick?" Oswald asked.
"I…I don't know." said Mickey, stunned.
"I can tell you how." Everyone turned to Louie who was the one who spoke. "It was probably the same guy who hacked into our phone systems."
They all glare at Beaks, whose grin gives them their answer.
"It was you! You hacked into the castle's defense system!" said Ven, pointing at the CEO of Waddle.
"Duh! Of course it was me. I hacked into your castle's security systems months ago! I've just been saving it for a very special occasion. And I must say, for a castle, this place has got some pathetic security systems. Even worse than Scrooge's." Beaks mocked. "Your encryptions and firewalls were so weak to the point where I could break through them with a calculator and a paperclip."
"Gawrsh! This isn't good!" Goofy exclaimed.
"No, it's not! I don't know how they're gonna do it but we've gotta stop Pete and Mortimer from destroying the Cornerstone!" said Mickey.
"Mickey's right! If the Cornerstone is destroyed, all is lost!" reminded Minnie.
"Agreed, Minnie!" Sora proclaimed as the Guardians, Clan McDuck, and Clan Glomgold noticed him getting up after being temporarily knocked out by Merlock. "But first, we gotta get through these guys."
"Impossible! I thought I knocked you out cold!" exclaimed Merlock.
"Please, it's going to take more than that to take me down. And I've been through way worse than what you have done. Now do your worst!" Sora declared as he summoned Kingdom Key.
With that, the rest of the Guardians of Light and Clan McDuck all summoned their signature weapons, Scrooge got into a stance with his cane, and Beakley and Launchpad got into a stance with their fists as all of them faced Clan Glomgold.
However, Merlock, Magica, and Sheldgoose shared a grin. Together, they held up their hands and engulfed themselves and all of Clan Glomgold in their magic, disappearing in a burst of purple energy, surprising the Guardians and McDucks.
"Huh!?" gasped Max.
"They disappeared!" Webby exclaimed.
"Where'd they go?" asked Roxas.
Merlock could be heard laughing in the air, prompting everyone to look around only to find no sight of him.
"Like I said, we're not foolish enough to fight you in our current state." Merlock reminded them.
"If you morons want to save your precious Cornerstone so badly, go ahead and try." Felldrake dared.
"It won't matter. By the time you get there it will be far too late. And this world will be plunged into darkness at long last!" Magica declared.
All of Clan Glomgold gave maniacal laughter. After a couple of seconds, the laughing faded away and the Guardians of Light and Clan McDuck were left in shock as they dismissed their weapons.
"Dammit! Those guys were just stalling for time!" grunted Sora.
"We have to get the Cornerstone room now!" shouted Donald.
"Maybe we don't have to worry too much. I mean, come on, it's Pete we're talking about. No way HE could destroy the Cornerstone." Dewey assured.
"Same with Mortimer given his track record!" said Launchpad. "That guy may be smarter than Pete, but he ain't that bright."
"I dunno…" Minnie frowned. "Pete wasn't playing around when he and Vanitas got the mirror to Wasteland."
"Or when he and Mortimer helped Mad Dog Tannen and their posse try to kill us." grunted Roxas.
"Well standing around here won't do us any good!" Beakley said. "To the Cornerstone!"
Everyone ran to the Throne Room while being joined by Chip and Dale on the way, and the floor under the throne opened up. They all raced downstairs and immediately skidded to a stop.
There, standing beside the Cornerstone of Light, were Pete and Mortimer.
"How much longer until you're done, Petey?" Mortimer asked.
"Don't rush me, Morty!" Pete retorted. "I'm almost done!"
"You're done now, Pete!" Mickey yelled.
The two faced the group.
"Well, well, well, look what we have here! The Boat Boy King and his brigade of heroes!" Pete laughed.
"Ha-cha-cha, welcome to the beginning of your fall from grace." Mortimer smirked.
"You two have done some shady things in the past, but this is low, even for you!" scowled Riku.
"No… they went lower in Hill Valley…" Mickey sneered, clutching his fist.
"Step away from the Cornerstone, you two!" ordered Aqua.
"Or things will get messy… got it memorized?" said Lea, summoning his chakrams, pointing one at them threatening.
Pete and Mortimer just smirked as they walked up to them.
"Look intimidating all you want, but you all are too late." Mortimer said. "It's already done."
"What's already done?!" demanded Scrooge.
"Oh, I've just stuck a couple of explosives to your little Cornerstone, and they're all set to blow it to smithereens." Pete casually explained.
"Seriously? That's it? Dude, you come into our home just to plant a couple of explosives on that thing? Wow, you are so original." Lena mocked with a grin.
"Yeah, this isn't exactly one of your smarter plans, Pete." said Ven.
"What do you expect from a guy who's too dumb to tie his own shoes?" Sora mocked.
The girls giggled at the insult while Pete was just annoyed. Even Mortimer couldn't help but snicker.
"Shut up!" Pete shouted.
"Are you ever going to give up trying to destroy the Cornerstone?" asked Kairi.
"Nope. Maleficent still wants this castle and once I blow up this thing, it's all hers!" Pete declared.
"And I was more than happy to help my pal do it and get you losers back once and for all!" Mortimer added.
"Ha! Good luck with that! It's gonna take more than some lame explosives to destroy the Cornerstone of Light!" Dewey mocked.
"Dewey's right. The Cornerstone might be a little weakened, but it's too powerful to be destroyed by ordinary explosives. Even our Keyblades can't break it." Mickey explained.
"Well, then it's a good thing these aren't ordinary explosives." Pete grinned, surprising the Guardians. "Those explosives I set up, they've been powered up by dark magic, courtesy of Maleficent, Magica, Felldrake, and Merlock. The magic together is more than enough to destroy this old piece of glass."
"We've been upping our ante." Mortimer smirked.
"You're bluffing!" Beakley called out.
"Don't believe me?" Pete asked, pointing to Lena. "Why don't you have that goth brat take a look for herself."
Lena stepped forth and with a wave of her hand, she sent out shadow magic that enveloped the Cornerstone. She gasped in disbelief upon seeing darkness emanate from the explosives attached to it much to her friends and family's concern.
"Lena?" Xion asked.
"He's not lying…" Lena spoke. "I'm seeing dark magic coming from those bombs. A LOT of dark magic."
Pete presented a detonator to the Guardians and McDucks, ready to press the button.
"All I need to do is press this little button and boom! Bye-bye, Cornerstone of Light." Pete explained with a laugh.
"And all hell will reign upon this world that turned its back on us!" Mortimer grinned.
The Guardians were horrified. Never had Pete driven them into a corner like this before. This even seemed too much for Mortimer, who hadn't been in the game that long. Not only that, if the Cornerstone of Light was destroyed, then Master Xehanort would have full access to the world. He would be able to send in as many Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed as he wanted. Even Nightmare Dream Eaters could appear should the Realm of Sleep be compromised. And this toon world might not stand a chance against such vicious monsters.
"You wouldn't." said Isa, eyes narrowed.
"You're joking!" scowled April.
"Are you two insane!? Do you realize what will happen if you destroy the Cornerstone?!" Mickey shouted.
"Of course we do. Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed will be able to easily come to this world without anything stopping them." Pete casually explained. "And that's not even mentioning the 13 Seekers of Darkness, including the old man and Maleficent, as well as Magica, Merlock, and all my pals you just met upstairs. And once this thing is gone, Clan Glomgold will be able to use their new powers without this dumb bubble holding them back. There won't be anything stopping darkness from invading this world once it's destroyed. It's gonna be quite a spectacle. First Disney Town, then Duckburg, and finally the entire world!"
"Pete! Are you listening to yourself!? If you destroy our Cornerstone of Light, our world will be thrown into chaos! And millions of innocent people will suffer!" Minnie reasoned.
"Yup. And who knows many of those people will make good Heartlesses. I know I want a front row seat to see for myself. So, let's find out." said Pete, holding up the detonator.
"You're not gonna get a chance to push it when I'm through with you!" Webby shouted.
She charges and leaps towards Pete for a flying kick.
"No, don't!" Sora shouted.
But his pleas fall on deaf ears and with a grin Pete easily smacked Webby away with the back of his large fists, sending her screaming.
"Webby!" Dewey and Lena shouted.
Dewey quickly caught Webby in his arms. Ignoring that he was holding her in bridal style, the two glared at Pete with the rest.
Pete laughed. "Nice try, Pinky. But you're better off playing with your dolls at home."
"Didn't your Granny teach you not to jump into trouble?" Mortimer joked.
Webby and Beakley growled.
"You're gonna pay for that!" said Roxas, summoning Two Become One and charging forward.
But suddenly, the old Organization's No. XIII was blocked by Mortimer... using Corvus Glaive's glaive! The two clashed two more times until Mortimer uppercutted Roxas with his new weapon, knocking him to the ground.
"Agh! Geez!" Roxas groaned as he clutched his chest as Xion quickly dragged him away.
"Eat this!" shouted Riku.
He launched a Dark Aura blast, but Pete tossed one of his bombs and they exploded on impact. Sora and Kairi ran through the smoke, lunging at Pete with their Keyblades and battle cries. But to everyone's disbelief, the large cat quickly held out his hand to summon… Cull Obsidian's Chain Hammer!
With it, he blocked Sora and Kairi, stopping them with one hand, much to their shock.
"What!?" Kairi exclaimed.
"Surprise!" said Pete.
He effortlessly pushed Sora and Kairi off, and with a swing, he launched the head of his new hammer, smacking the couple aside. They cried out, sprawling across the floor.
"Sora/Kairi!" Mickey and Minnie shouted.
"Get him!" Ven shouted.
Everyone charged but Pete smashed his hammer into the floor, causing a massive tremor and rupture that forced the Guardians and McDucks to jump out of the way. The rupture ended up destroying part of the wall near the door, prompting them to stare at Pete in shock.
"Well, that's new." said Xion, stunned.
"Like our new toys? Or should I call it our old new toys." Pete laughed as he stood and rested his new hammer on his shoulder.
"Losers didn't see that coming, did ya?" Mortimer chuckled.
"Hey, fellers, doesn't that weapon look a little familiar?" asked Goofy.
"You're right, Goofy. That's Cull Obsidian's Chain Hammer!" Riku answered.
"Wait, wasn't he Thanos' muscle man?" Lea asked. "And didn't he get killed?"
"Yeah, by Bruce." Donald answered.
"And that glaive... that belonged to Corvus Glaive! Another of Thanos' loyal followers!" gasped Kairi.
"If I recall correctly... he stabbed Vision with that thing!" remembered Minnie.
"Before Vision stabbed him in return..." murmured Daisy.
"Those weapons were confiscated after the war." Mickey pointed at Pete. "How did you get those!?"
"What do you think, you moron? We stole them from Wakanda." said Pete.
"Impossible! We sealed off the MCU!" Oswald yelled.
"There's no way the Organization should be able to enter it now." Ortensia added.
"Ha! A world of worlds like the MCU has a bunch of secret passages that allow guys like me to get through with a cinch. Mort and I made a little trip to Wakanda's armory and snagged some stuff that was confiscated after your little showdown with Thanos' army in Wakanda." Pete explained. "I helped myself to this beauty, and Mort has what's-his-name's glaive. And it's not like anyone else wants them. Their original owners are dead, and since all the other toons were upping their game, Mort and I needed to up ours."
"Dammit, I thought those weapons looked familiar…" Isa muttered, clutching his fist.
The Guardians and McDucks tensed up. All of a sudden, Pete and Mortimer were starting to become bigger threats. They were no longer looking like the lackeys they shouldn't take seriously.
"All of a sudden, it feels like we should be taking you two seriously now." said Sora.
"With weapons like those, you have a huge point." said May.
"Now, where were we? Oh right, I was about to blow up the Cornerstone." Pete remembered, holding up the detonator.
"Press it!" Mortimer urged.
Mickey and Minnie desperately reach out to him.
"Pete, stop! Don't do this! Please!" Minnie begged.
"Why shouldn't I?" Pete asked.
"Pete, listen to reason. If you destroy the Cornerstone, our world will be destroyed by darkness!" Mickey reasoned.
"Well, duh! That's why I'm going to destroy this dumb stone. This world can suffer for all I care!" Pete spat.
The humans were appalled by what Pete said while the toons were horrified.
"Pete! How can you say that!?" Minnie shouted.
"Have you forgotten that this is your world too? It was your home! Are you really going to destroy it? Along with your own people?!" Kairi asked.
"Big whoop! Like I care about any of that! I couldn't care less about what happens to anyone in this lame world. It's not even my home anymore!" shouted Pete before looking to Mickey and Minnie, mainly the latter. "All I want is revenge on the royal little pipsqueak who destroyed my life. Did you forget what you did to me, your 'royal highness'? You banished me! You threw me out of my own world like garbage!"
Minnie glared. "Pete, I'm sorry I banished you from this world. I didn't want to have to do that. But you were out of control. You simply refused to listen to reason no matter how much I tried to get through to you."
"Pete, Minnie told me what happened 11 years ago." said Mickey. "You were banished because you wouldn't stop causing trouble for everyone in town. You were wrecking the Dream Festival with how you were acting. And the only person you looked out for was yourself."
"And the way you pushed away those who believed in you and cared for you was the last straw!" Minnie reminded.
"We know what you did at the festival each time we were there." said Terra. "You were cheating on the race track by trying to knock off your competition as Captain Dark."
"You pretended to be that hero 'Captain Justice', and yet you didn't bother helping anyone but yourself by running away." Aqua added. "And while I understand that the concept can be scary, faking being a hero is just wrong."
"And you were messing around with Scrooge's ice cream machine and even tried to throw it away, even though the boys said 'No'… while also being Captain Justice!" Ven added.
Those words and the reminder of those days made Pete boil, looking down to not let anyone see the anger welling up.
"All you ever cared about was winning the prize!" accused Dale.
"You never cared about being a good citizen. You didn't care about anyone but yourself!" said Chip.
"Well, did it ever occur to anyone here that I never cared about that dumb prize either? The only thing that I ever wanted was to impress my family?!" Pete suddenly shouted.
This caused everyone to go silent with shock, except for some of the toons.
"Your…family?" Sora asked.
"My wife Peg, and my kids P.J. and Pistol." Pete answered. "Along with a dog named Chainsaw and a goldfish named Buddy."
"Wait, you've got a wife and kids?" Dewey asked, dumbfounded.
"He's joking, right?" Huey asked.
"This guy has a family?" Louie asked, incredulous.
"Actually, it's true. Pete did have a family. Max and I have met them." said Goofy.
"Are you serious!?" Olette asked.
"I'm afraid so. In fact, P.J.'s one of my best friends." said Max. "My family and Pete's were neighbors back in Spoonerville."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Xion asked.
"You never really asked." Max replied. "You knew I had a best friend named P.J. and that was fine with you."
"Yeah." said Mickey as everyone looked at Pete. "But from what we heard, you and Peg got divorced, and she ended up getting custody of both your kids."
"Years ago… before the Dream Festival, my wife and I… we hit a rough spot in our marriage. Don't ask how. Let's just say… we had a big fight because I'm a 'terrible father'. After the divorce, I was at my lowest. I had nowhere to go, so… I came to live in Disney Town. But of course, no one here liked me that much because I'm a 'troublemaker'. And if that's what everyone thought of me, then that's the role I decided to play." said Pete, his face a mixture of sadness, longing, anger, and resentment.
No one said anything. They just listened to Pete's story.
"Then, during the Dream Festival... I heard my ex-family was in town. I thought… maybe if I won the Million Dreams Award and made myself out to be a good citizen… maybe Peg would give me a chance and my kids would look up to me again. I thought I had a chance to get my life back." said Pete.
"So…that's why you wore those costumes and went around town like an idiot saying you were a hero? To get your family's attention?" asked Ven, taken aback.
"That's pretty much it. But we all know how that turned out, don't we?" Pete said spitefully.
"Pete…" said Mickey, stunned.
"I… I didn't know." said Minnie, apologetically.
"Hmph! Of course you didn't!" Pete scoffed. "You don't know the first thing about me! Everyone just assumes I'm the bad guy! No one ever bothered to try to get to know me!"
"Pete, that's not-!" Minnie tried to say but was cut off.
"All I wanted was my family's love and approval back. Was that too much to ask? Apparently, it was. And if I can't have happiness, no one can. The darkness can reign all over this world for all I care." Pete declared, preparing to press the detonator.
"Pete, please. I'm begging you, don't destroy the Cornerstone. This isn't who you are. While you were a troublemaker, I never once thought you were evil. I always believed there was good in you. And I still do." Minnie begged.
"She's right, Pete. You don't have to do this. Think about Peg, P.J., Pistol, and your pets! They're still your family! Deep down, I know you still care about them." Mickey said.
Pete's face softened and saddened, confirming Mickey's words. "If you destroy the Cornerstone and make our world vulnerable to darkness, they'll be in danger as well. Are you really going to do this to them? Your family?"
Pete looks down, as though he's hesitating for a moment.
"Hey, need I remind you of something, Petey?" Mortimer said, frowning. "They turned their backs on you. Your family. The people in this castle. The whole freakin' town. They threw you into another dimension just for being petty and unscrupulous."
"Mortimer, shut up!" snapped Sora.
"Can it, spikey! I'm telling the truth!" Mortimer snapped back. "They turned on my pal, all of them did! You all think you know us?! Some of us have hidden depths like you, ya know!"
"You don't strike me as the type." retorted Lea.
"Maybe not. All I care about is that Minnie should be with a better man like me," Mortimer said, making Minnie glare. "But some of us baddies? There's more than meets the eye! Pete, Hans, Scar, hell, even Magica! But all you bozos ever see is just plain villainy. You never take the time to truly know anyone at all! And now, it's all gonna come back and bite you so badly you'll snap into pieces… do it, Pete!"
"PETE, NO!" Mickey yelled.
"Don't do this!" Roxas yelled.
"It's not worth it!" yelled Naminé.
"Pete, you can be better than this!" Minnie pleaded. "Don't do it!"
"Think of your family, Pete!" Goofy added.
Pete was still hesitant. He thought over everyone's words. But then, he remembered his mission as he looked up with an indifferent expression, steeling his resolve.
"As far as they're concerned… I don't exist anymore." said Pete. "There's nothing left for me here."
Before anyone could react, Pete pushed the button, causing Mickey, Minnie, and everyone to gasp in horror. The explosives lit up and became enveloped in darkness which spread around the Cornerstone of Light.
"NO!" Mickey and Minnie screamed.
Pete and Mortimer quickly disappeared back into a Corridor of Darkness that appeared behind them as Mickey and Minnie ran for the stone, only for a massive purple explosion to occur, blowing them and the rest of the Guardians and McDucks away.
Disney Town:
A huge tremor could be felt outside of the castle and in town. Horace, Clarabelle, and a bunch of other people cried out from the shaking around town.
Horace was an anthropomorphic horse. His fur was black, his mouth was tan, and he wore white gloves, tan shoes, blue overalls, a red long-sleeved shirt, a brown horse collar with a red bow, and a brown hat with a blue band.
Clarabelle was an anthropomorphic cow with black fur and a tan mouth. She wore yellow bellbottom pants and a yellow bow, a lighter yellow t-shirt, and orange heels. (2)
"What was that!?" Horace asked, shocked.
"Was that an earthquake?!" Clarabelle cried in worry.
Back in the castle, for a while, the Cornerstone Room was enveloped in smoke. But it did clear up, revealing the Guardians of Light and Clan McDuck lying on the floor after being blown by the explosion. They slowly started lifting themselves up, some coughing and some holding their heads.
"Is everyone alright?" Sora asked.
"We're fine, Sora." Roxas replied.
"What happened? The entire room's gone dark!" Lea noticed, looking around the room.
The room had become spookily dark, as it was when Sora, Donald, and Goofy had first visited Disney Castle during Maleficent's invasion. Ortensia was the first to gasp in horror at the sight in front of her. When everyone else looked in her direction, they became equally horrified. The Cornerstone of Light was nowhere to be seen. It… had been… SHATTERED!
All that's left of it is its pedestal and the hundreds of powerless shards that were laid on the floor.
To be continued…
The Cornerstone of Light… is destroyed. And now villains of all kinds can invade the world of Disney Town. And Clan Glomgold is ready for its revenge.
Next chapter, the battle! Who will win? Wait and see!
Rate, review, and I'll see you all soon in the new year!
(1) Hot Shots!
(2) Mickey Mouse Clubhouse