Taking Fantasia : A Disney Fanfiction

Chapter 28: Pillow Fight

Chapter 28: Pillow Fight

"MICKEY!"

Mickey looked up. A pillow – pink and heart shaped – smacked his nose.

"Yikes!" Ears over heels, Mickey toppled off the king size bed. His legs kicked up a stack of index cards. They flew into the air like a paper waterfall. "What the – Minnie!"

"Don't you Minnie me, Mickey Mouse!" Clicking furiously over the strewn index cards, Minnie chased Mickey around the bed.

"WAR GAMES?" Enraged, Minnie walloped the headmaster with the pillow. "War games? Tomorrow? Without training? Without instruction? Without teaching those poor little children how to use their gifts! Mickey!"

With an almighty whack, the pillow burst. Feathers puffed into the air, blossoming into Mickey's bewildered face. Dazed, the headmaster tried to sink into the plush carpet as Minnie bore down upon him like fire breathing dragon. "Mickey Mouse HOW COULD YOU?"

"Um ...Minnie..."

"WHAT?" Minnie spun around, holding Mickey by his round ear.

Staring timidly back at her were Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Coach Phil, and Merlin. Each one was shivering and shaking in his pajamas, except for Merlin who was wearing a Snuggie.

Very unthreatened, Minnie curled her tail. "Yes?" she demanded.

Mickey cringed as she squeezed his ear. "Do you have something to say to me? Perhaps explain to me why tomorrow morning children will be battling each other to the quote-end-quote DEATH?"

Coach Phil squirmed in his bunny slippers as Mickey gingerly tapped Minnie's hand.

"Minnie..." said Mickey carefully. As Minnie zipped around, the headmaster nodded to the corner of the room. "Minnie. Dear. We have guests. And...they are responsible for the battle tomorrow."

Minnie turned. Collected neatly in the corner like chess pieces were Admiral Triton, Petty Officer Sebastian, PI Basil of Bakerstreet, and Captain Amelia.

Minnie released Mickey. Still completely undaunted, she marched over the mess of index cards and pillow feathers.

"Admiral Triton." Minnie stomped the last few steps. Concernedly, she met the officer's steely gaze. "Admiral Triton. Ariel was quite upset today at the assembly."

Ignoring the obvious hushes from Donald, Goofy, and Coach Phil, Minnie continued. "Is she all right?"

Rigid, save for clenching fingers, Admiral Triton nodded.

"Yes." he said curtly, although his tone indicated otherwise. Lowering formidable eyebrows, Admiral Triton glowered down a thin, crooked nose. "Why should my youngest daughter not be all right?"

"Oh, well that's nice." Minnie said crisply. "I was worried. Now –!"

Mickey ducked as Minnie's bristled. "Explain yourselves! A battle? Admiral Triton you have children! You – each and every one of you – should be ashamed of yourselves!"

"Mistress Minnie." Captain Amelia said with forced politeness. "Please. Circumstances have changed."

"Oh really?" Minnie retorted. She assessed the feline captain. "And will circumstances change when the children have butchered each other to smithereens?"

"Madam!" Basil spoke over the objections. "Well I do believe that is a bit melodramatic, don't you think? See here - no one is going to be butchered. For heaven's sake..."

"We have to see what the children can do." Continued Admiral Triton as Sebastian agreed. "There were too many....surprises at the ceremony."

"They'll learn how to use their gifts!" Minnie snapped. "That is the purpose of FantasiaSchool of the Magically Skewed! We teach them how to use the magic!"

"There isn't time." said Basil. "No time to waste. The children need to start using their powers. Now."

"An expert in warfare has already been contacted." Captain Amelia added, swishing aside the tails of her uniform. "Captain Lee Shang from the Eastern Sector. I trained with him in the academy for a year before he traveled abroad with the Fantasian Army to the Land of the Others. He will train your students and amass them into an army and – "

"Army?" Minnie grabbed her chest. "Warfare!" Horrified, she looked around the room. They couldn't be serious? Could they?

Panicked, Minnie turned. "Mickey?"

Headmaster Mickey met her with sad eyes. He was a young mouse with a natural exuberance that subtracted artificially from his actual age. But Minnie was struck at how worn Mickey appeared as he sadly shook his head.

"Minnie...they've seen Captain Hook."

Chills prickled through Minnie's tail. "....wh...what?" Shivering, Minnie clasped her hands. "...Captain...Captain Hook?"

"And his ship." nodded Mickey. He paused as Merlin drew the curtains. "The Jolly Roger. Which means...."

"Ursula." Minnie finished, remembering a battle fought long, long ago. Closing her eyes, Minnie tried not to cry. She was afraid to ask but couldn't stop herself from whispering, "And...and...has...has...Maleficent...?"

Silence. The darkness constricted at mere mention of the sinister witch.

"That could not be verified." Merlin said softly. He grinned as Archimedes snuggled against his ear with uncharacteristic empathy. "Neither can Ursula, nor any of the other villains for that matter. Only Captain Hook was spotted."

"When?" Minnie breathed, looking at the ground. "Where? By whom?"

"Ariel." Triton cleared his throat to prevent a second break. "Ariel saw him first. She was at swimming practice during the bomb attack. The headmaster tells me the castle waterworks lead to the Northern Fantasia Sea."

"Yeah." said Coach Phil. "When the pool broke, she must'a been sucked right into the plumbing and dumped into the ocean. Lucky."

"Hook..." continued Admiral Triton. His voice was anesthetized but his eyes crashed like whitecaps. "...found Ariel in the ocean and brought her to me."

Minnie waited. With Captain Hook, there was always a bargain.

"He offered a barter." said Admiral Triton, staring straight ahead without blinking. "Ariel for free and safe passage through the Fantasian Seas."

Admiral Triton stiffened. "I did not refuse."

Minnie resisted the urge to tackle Admiral Triton's knees in a bear hug. "Of course you didn't!" she said, glaring pointedly at Captain Amelia's raised eyebrow. "Of course not! That separates us from the villains."

"Be that as it may." Captain Amelia strode forward before Minnie's tender moment deterred the business meeting. "Matters are now complicated. Before, Hook's only sanctuary was the Northern Fantasia Sea. Those are mysterious waters, so no matter. But, now Triton's magic over the rest of Fantasia's waters has no effect on where Hook sails. And that...." Captain Amelia placed a hand on her hip, "...is a disadvantage."

"So as you can see." explained Basil, spreading his hands. "We've lost quite a major magical defense."

"Hook has a clear, bang-up shot to land." said Captain Amelia. "So...Fantasia's last magical defense – "

" – are the children." Minnie finished. Unabashed, she sniffed. "The children."

"You understand?" asked Admiral Triton. Minnie looked up. It was the first time he'd spoken since mentioning the bargain made for his daughter's life.

Solemnly, Minnie raised lucent eyes to the sea captain. "Yes." she said, watching the storm inside his blue eyes. "Yes. I understand."

Breathing deeply, Minnie turned on her pink heel. She looked at Mickey. "What do we do now?"

Starlight bled through a crack in the drapes. The white light illuminated the index cards littered over the carpet. Mickey smiled and gestured as the index glowed like moonstones in the starlight.

"Come take a look."