Joy whizzed around the two, beaming like a tiny star. "She likes ya!" chuckled Bing Bong, watching as the orb settled into Sarah's hands.
"She's so funny!" Sarah grinned, admiring Bing Bong's companion. What confused the girl, however, was the fact that Joy appeared to be nothing more than a ball of light. She was unable to distinguish a set of wings, a face, or any extremities.
"What is she, exactly?"
"She's a... she's a fairy! Or, I think she is. She looked like this when I met her, but-"
The elephant's words were cut short by the shuffle of footsteps. Bing Bong slapped a hand over his mouth, trembling as Sarah turned her head towards the source of her friend's terror. Through the darkness, she was barely able to make out a tail, a muzzle, and a green tunic... Robin!
Joy jittered gleefully at the sight of the fox. Panicked, Bing Bong ushered the little orb into the front of his jacket.
"Whaddaya got there, mate?" Robin asked as he strapped his dagger to his belt.
"W-What?" the elephant stuttered.
"It's okay, Bing Bong!" Sarah reassured. "He's here to help us."
"Really? Ya mean, help us get outta here?"
"Exactly!"
"J-Jackie, what if it's a trick —"
"The only sin I have ever committed was making Prince John the laughing stock of Nottingham," Robin chuckled as he took an overly dramatic bow. "The tricks I pull are only on the ones who truly deserve it." The thief winked. "Now, what do ye say? Gonna give me a chance?"
Sarah and Bing Bong exchanged glances, though his held much less enthusiasm than hers. Robin, deciding that a more humble approach may ease the elephant's nerves, fell to one knee. "I give you my word, laddie."
Bing Bong almost cringed, expression appearing muddled as his mind raced. Joy jingled from the inside of his jacket.
Sarah took him by the arm. "I was skeptical, too, okay? But I know that we can trust him... Joy trusts him, too."
"I — Okay. Okay," he reluctantly agreed, realizing how outnumbered he was.
"He only wants to talk to us. You, me, Gurri, the kids and Geno."
Bing Bong scanned Robin from head to toe. He had been on decent terms with the deer so far. This was a fox. Couldn't be that much different, right?
Robin understood how shifty things had become. The world had, after all, fallen into mayhem. But the fact that such a colorful and friendly creature was so reluctant to trust... That alone broke Robin's heart. There was something special about this pachyderm, something that pulled at Robin's heartstrings and made him want to help in any way possible. As for the young girl, she was as human as one could get.
"You can call me Robin," he greeted, offering a gentle handshake.
"Ah, I'm Bing Bong," the pachyderm replied, finally bringing himself to smile.
Robin heard a hint of laughter in that voice, prompting a smile of his own. "A pleasure, Sir Bing Bong. And you..." He turned to Sarah. "I know you."
"Jackie." She stifled a short laugh.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance. Now..." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "We need to gather the others. There's something important that you must know. I don't mean to scare ye, but time is running very, very short."
Bing Bong's eyes widened. Sarah gathered her thoughts. "So it's certain that we're trapped here?"
"Yes... I myself ran into a bit of trouble getting in." Robin lifted the sleeve of his tunic, exposing a rather large chunk of ripped flesh.
Bing Bong could barely handle the sight and yelped. Sarah cringed. "Oh my gosh..."
"Little slip up when those hyenas took a bite at me. Come... Let's wake your friends."
The three were able to find their way back to the others, most of whom had long since drifted off to sleep. Gurri, wide awake and deep in thought, was curled into a corner. When she caught sight of Sarah and Bing Bong, she leapt up, the knots in her stomach coming undone. The sight of an unfamiliar fox, however, caused her blood to run cold. She sensed predator at first, but he seemed kind, an attribute shared with Sarah.
"Where were you two?" she breathed. "I thought that Pete had gotten a hold of you."
"We're okay, Gurri."
"You had better be," Gurri said, eying the fox. "And who is this?"
"I," Robin cut in, "am Robin Hood... And do keep this our little secret. According to your boss, I don't exist."
"He wants to talk," Sarah explained.
"Talk? We need action, not words."
"My point exactly, my dear," Robin said, leaning in close, "so we had better get this done as quickly as possible. There's a lot that you need to know about your situation."
When the entire tent had fallen as silent as the dead, Mickey decided that it was safe to search for Sarah and her companions.
He had lost his way earlier that morning, having been taken captive by a stranger mounted on a mighty black horse. Fear turned his insides to stone, and he truly believed that he was caught and done for, on his way to face the wrath of the Dark Fairy. To his surprise, he was released hours later, as though this mystery rider had been waiting for the opportune moment to let the mouse go. He was set free right beside the tarp, where there was an opening for him to slip into... A strange encounter, but it was one that Mickey was grateful for.
He had to make sure that he was back in the girl's hands before he could forget who he was again. After nearly an hour of scurrying, he finally came across a small group composed of several animals, a talking doll and a very familiar human girl. They were seated in a circle behind a cage where two fawns slept. A tiny lamp served as the only light source.
Bing Bong sat to the right of Sarah, and to his right sat Gurri. Geno, however, preferred to stand, keeping an eye on his companions as the fox delivered his ordeal.
"Under Yen Sid's order, we all gathered together to rescue as many as we can. My team are made up of five of the most noble warriors in the land: the King of Pride Rock, a Parisian bell ringer with the strength of a bear, the King of England, the great wizard Merlin, and myself.
"Merlin?" Sarah's eyes widened.
"And we are trying to communicate with your father," Robin mentioned, turning to Geno and Gurri.
"So, you were sent," Geno guessed.
"I sort of went off on my own accord after hearing about this tent. This place is like a spider's web. It keeps you trapped, until..."
Sarah grew uneasy. "Until what?"
"Until our main enemy comes to claim you all. She'll either use you for personal gain or kill you, whichever she prefers."
A horror-stricken Bing Bong linked his fingers with Sarah's.
"As of right now, Pete is using you all as a gold mine until she arrives."
"Wh-wh-what are we gonna do?" Bing Bong stuttered.
"We're going to go about tomorrow as casual as can be... until the next performance. But first, we need to find the spell that's keeping you all here. It's something that she gave to Pete to use."
"Just like what Yen Sid gave me," Woody added.
"Exactly. It's hidden somewhere within this very tent. It should look something like a glowing green marble."
"It could be anywhere in this place," Sarah dreaded. Bing Bong, overcome with anxiety, wrapped his arms around himself.
"Hey, ye need to keep your heads up, mates... and your hearts pure. It's what we need. And laddie," Robin turned to the trembling elephant, "don't think that-" He cut himself off and stiffened, struck with the suspicion that someone with foul intentions was listening.
Bing Bong's heart dropped into his stomach as he stared, wide-eyed, at the valiant fox. He was hit with the desire to up and run. Joy was still with him, rattling around under his jacket, and when he saw something stir on the roof of the cage, he pressed her against his heart. Robin growled and leapt up in pursuit of... none other than the weasel!
The fox grabbed Gammy by the throat and dragged him off of the cart almost effortlessly. Geno pressed a hoof to the weasel's chest, pinning him to the ground.
"Gah!" Gammy cried out, squirming like a tiny bug. "Lemme go, you-" A dagger was pressed against his throat.
"Shut... yer... trap." Robin snarled.
"You ain't the boss of me-"
"Really, mate? 'Cause this dagger here says that I am."
A shaking Bing Bong rose to his feet, preparing to dart into the shadows, keeping Joy within his grasp. "Bing Bong!" Sarah cried. Just as her friend was preparing to bolt, she caught him by the tail, and he tripped, face first, into the dirt.
"Ya gotta let me go, please!" he begged, struggling to break free from her grasp.
Sarah knew that this was all for Joy's protection... but she couldn't let him go. Should they ever break free from this place, he needed to go with them.
"I can't let you..."
"Jackie!"
Sarah felt her heart begin to crack. His normally playful voice was strained with agony- agony that he didn't deserve.
"Bing Bong, you've got to stay with us! You need to calm down! Please... we need you."
Once again, Sarah's words had struck him deep down, and he froze. Never before had he been offered such kind words... Was he really needed? Was she telling the truth?
Once she was sure that he wouldn't attempt to run off again, she removed her hand from his tail. "It's going to be okay," she reassured, lending a hand to help him to his feet. "I promise."
Meanwhile, Mickey was watching from afar as the weasel tried to escape from Robin's clutches.
"I wasn't gonna say anythin', dangit!" Gammy growled as he began to pull away. However, Robin was faster, giving the weasel a swift kick to the chest and pinning him against a beam.
"Can't trust a word ya say... Pete sent ya to watch, didn't he?"
"Not gonna say!"
"Sure, fine, but you ain't goin' nowhere. They're all comin' with me tomorrow night, and you don't wanna go outside with that Black Rider watching the place, so I suggest you watch your back."
"'kay, 'kay! It's a deal!"
*
Sarah and Bing Bong leaned against the side of the cage. He jumped when he felt Joy squirm and ring from inside his jacket, though the feather-light chimes were a comfort to him.
"What's she saying?" Sarah asked.
"Uh, I — th-that we're okay," he uttered.
Noticing the occasional quiver of his lower lip, Sarah got the impulse to hug him as the confrontation continued. The elephant invited it, curling his trunk around her ever so slightly. He had never known pain as intense as this. It ached. It frightened him. Tears came in a raging flood, and he made no attempt to suppress them.
Sarah felt something drop onto her shoulder- a lollipop. Candy was flying everywhere, piles forming at her feet.
"Buddy... It's okay."
He nodded, too choked up to even open his mouth. He grabbed her into a hug and began to sob.
Was this all really happening? He was a character, after all... They were all just characters, made up by a greed-driven monopoly. Yet, she had never experienced feelings so intense, so raw, so real. She was hugging someone, someone who could breathe and cry and love, and he felt more real than anything that she had ever known... She could see her friends smile, she could hear them cry for help, and she could feel the danger that they were in. She needed to find Mickey, not only for the sake of her parents, but for the sake of her new magical friends. This place was practically torturing her, and she had only been here for a day.
"You're okay," she cooed, rubbing Bing Bong's shoulder. "We're all okay... Oh, Bing Bong..."
Woody came to check on the two only to find Sarah comforting the distraught Imaginary.
"Gosh... what's wrong? Is he okay?"
"No." Sarah attempted to swallow but was unable to fight against the lump in her throat. "Something's wrong."
Bing Bong started sniffling when his episode had finally come to an end but was unable to pull himself out of such a comforting embrace. "Th-th-thank you," he stuttered, voice full of stifled sobs.
Woody, meanwhile, felt his blood begin to boil... All this suffering, and for what reason?
*
"You will not say a word," Robin told Gammy through clenched teeth. "You will join us and keep quiet, yes?"
"Look, I never liked this job anyway. Ya think Pete and the rest o' us are pals? Nah! The Fairy is comin' soon, and I don't wanna be here when she comes!"
"And we won't. I guarantee it. Now, do you have any information that will help us destroy the spell?"
"Think that it's boxed somewhere, but that's it!"
"You'd better spill," Woody barked, having returned from witnessing the elephant's breakdown. He was still fuming, running on a mix of anger and passionate energy. "Think of how others feel in this cage for a change!"
"Yeah, I get it, doll ~"
"Woody! Name. Is. Woody!"
Robin's snarl was threatening enough to elicit silence from the weasel. The ordeal went on quietly and the tent remained still. There was hardly any noise, save for the occasional whisper. Gurri had a feeling that something was wrong with the Imaginary, yet only Sarah witnessed the breakdown. Bing Bong was even more uncomfortable now that Gammy had been forced on them. The weasel had lied to him more than once before.
"Now, don't be lookin' at me like that, clown."
"He's not your clown!" Sarah snapped. "He has a name."
"You should know!" Bing Bong piped up, in a negative sing-song fashion. "...liar."
"I was just doin' my job."
"You let them throw things at me- things that hurt! Ya said they wouldn't."
Gurri turned to the weasel, eyes akin to daggers. "And this is your chance to make up for your wrongdoings."
For the first time, Sarah took notice of a swollen gash dug across the elephant's leg. She bit her lip in fury and glared at Gammy.
"If you knew what's good for you," Robin growled, "you would state what you know."
"Like I said, it's locked up in a small box. It looks jus' like ya said, like a glowing green marble. All we gotta do is smash it."
"That's it?" Sarah's brows crinkled.
"And there's somethin' else you should know," Gammy added, lowering his voice. "Pete is lookin' for the Blue Fairy. He knows she's around here somewhere."
Sarah's heart leaped into her throat. Right away, she knew who Gammy was referring to. She watched, out of the corner of her eye, as Bing Bong tensed and Gurri's eyes began to water.
Sarah knew that Joy couldn't remain hidden for much longer. She thought of her beautiful light, how it so easily burned through the darkness of this torturous tent. Only Bing Bong and Sarah had been so lucky as to experience Joy's warm glow, but now, it was time for that light to be revealed to everyone.
"Cat's outta the bag," Gammy mumbled, eying the elephant's jacket.
Anger tugged at Bing Bong's face, a rare sight, especially to Sarah. "Bing Bong," the girl said, laying a hand on her friend's arm, "we have to show them~"
"No," he barked, looking at her straightly and sincerely. "H-he-he'll probably just tell Pete r-right away!"
"And he will regret it if he does," Robin said, jaw tightening into a snarl as he glared daggers at the weasel. "And he knows it."
"Please, Bing Bong," Gurri gently encouraged.
Mickey stood on his hind legs, eager and hopeful.
"It's okay," Sarah reassured, running her fingers through Bing Bong's sugary pelt.
Bing Bong looked at Sarah, realizing just how much he had come to trust her, and only over the course of a day... Gently, he dug a hand into the front of his jacket, and when he removed it, something blindingly bright was nestled between his fingers. Just as luminous as a fallen star or a fairy of the Moors, where she was for the whole group to see. Gammy's mouth hung open. Robin felt his eyes brimming with tears. Mickey's heart began to race at the sight of another familiar face- the Blue Fairy! She was here, after all! Now, the least he could do for them was find that hidden spell. Now that she was here, it might be easier.
Bing Bong held her in his hands just as gently as before, a calm air settling into his face.
"She was here the whole time," Gurri whispered, tears trailing down the sides of her face.
"I... I call her Joy," Bing Bong mentioned, beginning to smile.
"Way to go, partner," Woody congratulated warmly.
"She left us a letter back at the Park," Sarah mentioned. "Which said- oh, I had it in my bag. Shoot! But it said that we... That we were never gonna be alone. That she's protecting..." Sarah trailed off, eyes drifting towards Bing Bong, "innocence and imagination..."
"So it is settled," Robin said, the fairy's presence filling him with hope. "At the next performance, when Geno goes to get baited again, we'll make our escape. For now, that spell lies here somewhere. So that gives us twelve hours. And you-" he turned to Gammy, "-will be under my scrutiny, so you better watch out."
"Not like I have a choice now, do I?"