#That evil genie has me in an iron grip I’m telling you

[lupinedreaming]

Bless @your-mxnd-is-mxne for listening to me being feral for Djinn/Nathaniel for two days straight

[shewhowantsmouseears]

The Son Of Scheherazade, 23

Notes: As always, big thanks to my amazing editors Drucilla and BlueShifted!

Originally, the plan was for Mickey to wake up, but as I've been writing this story I realized I've been veering dangerously close to the "Happiness In Slavery" trope, and wanted to get that nonsense outta there. Hope you enjoyed the Cave of Wants arc - coming up, we finish the map with the Wish arc! It might be shorter than the others, we'll see.

Summary: Are your greatest desires that far away from your greatest fears? Panchito and Jose struggle to help their friends, and the clock is ticking! Can anyone fight the things they've tried to hide?

Daisy had always expected herself to die alone, perhaps in some vast wasteland where she had wandered off and couldn't find anymore people to con. Suffice to say, this was merely one of the shocks she was going through as Donald's iron fingers gripped her throat, piercing her skin, and crushing her voice-box. Screaming was impossible, and she gagged while frantically trying to pull him off, finding no strength in her hands. “S-stop...stop! Stop it! Donald, please!”

“This is what you wanted, RIIIIIIIIGHT?!” Donald's quacky voice was now demonic and dark, his beak curved into a twisted grin with fangs sticking out in bizarre angles. “All you ever do is hurt people, and you hate yourself for it! You can't trust anyone, because no one has ever trusted you! That Eye wasn't a gift, it was a curse! Your whole tribe deserved to be wiped out!”

Now the other crew-members popped up alongside Donald, but they were hideous creatures with deformed faces and maniacal grins, reaching out with their own hands to join in strangling her. Daisy could feel hot tears flowing from her bulging eyes. “That's... not... true!” But even this was a lie, and she knew it, she hated herself, hated the Eye, hated her family for having this cursed blood, hated so deep and maliciously that it eradicated all goodness she ever had.

“You've always been able to see other people's secrets, and when everyone learned that, you were chased out of every village!”

“You do nothing but cause pain to everyone! You've always known it! You want to stop, but you can't, because you don't have a real heart!”

“SO YOU JUST SHOULD JUST GIVE UP AND DIE, AND THAT WILL HELP EVERYONE!”

“GIVE UP AND DIE!

“GIVE UP AND DIE!”

“GIVE! UP! AND! DIE!”

The voices continued shouting the horrible mantra, and Daisy was finding it harder to disagree. She was a monster, and in all of Scheherazade's stories, the evil monsters were killed. Maybe everyone would be better off if she was gone for good. She'd said such a terrible thing to Donald about his family, and there was nothing she could ever do or say to make up for it. Had she been looking for a way out of the crew the entire time – or a way out of the world? She was always alone, and had always accepted it, and so in turn pushed away anyone who could dare change that. She just wanted to stop hurting people. She just wanted to stop hurting herself.

In the end... she just wanted everything to stop -

~*~

“Stop, Daisy!” Jose immediately jettisoned the plan he and Panchito had silently made, kneeling by Daisy's side and trying to pry her hands away from her throat. “Wake up! Daisy, wake up! Come on!” He slapped her hard across the cheek, but even that wouldn't stop her, as her once peaceful smile was now open in a silent cry for help.

Lotus Blossom whipped around, startled by the noise. “What the... why aren't you two asleep?!”

Panchito jumped ahead, aiming his pistols at her pretty face. “Undo your magic, thief! Free my friends right now!”

The booming, evil voice from the dark orb was now even more furious. “You damned woman, you were supposed to make them all look at the glass!”

“Hey, this is NOT on me!” Lotus began to fish for the same piece of glass from before in her sleeve. “You said once they all looked at, they're down for the count! You tell me why these two aren't in dreamland!” She found what she was looking for, and suddenly held out her hand, revealing a small piece of glass that was held in a golden frame, shutting her eyes for a brief moment.

Nothing happened.

Panchito blinked. “This is an improper time to show off your new monocle!” Jose, meanwhile, had managed to rip Daisy's hands off her neck, and had to pin them down at her sides to keep her from trying again.

Lotus paused, then shook the glass, even tapping it with her finger, all while making sure not to look directly at it. “This isn't a monocle, it's glass from the cave! You're supposed to be trapped within your greatest desires and worst fears about yourself! Everyone has them, so... get to collapsing, already!”

Panchito gave this some thought. “Worst fears? Hey, Jose, do I have a worst fear?”

“Panchito, my one and only, surely you would have told me such a thing!”

“Ah, yes, very true. I know I can always count on you, my loyal compadre!”

The orb began to shake in anger, which Lotus ignored, too stupefied by what she was hearing. “Come on! Everyone has doubts about themselves! Don't either of you have any tragic backstories? Any character arcs to develop? There has to be something about yourself you hate! Something that eats at you morning, noon, and night! There isn't a single person in the world who is content with themselves!”

Again, Panchito took a moment to consider things, and then shrugged. “Nah. I'm pretty okay with myself.”

“And I am also having little to no problems with my life, aside from my dear friend trying to join the afterlife,” said Jose while trying to peel Daisy's hands from her neck.

Lotus dropped her arm in disbelief. Perhaps this was where some flowery elaborate sentence about Panchito and Jose's mindset would go, but the truth of the matter was that they were not terribly complicated birds. Sure, they had their desires, as all do, but there was no great driving need behind them. They were just happy chappies with snappy serapes. Lotus, on the other hand, didn't believe that at all, and decided they were merely too stupid to have any fears. “Well, I'm blaming this on you.” She waved a hand toward the orb. “Can't pull off a successful heist without the right intel.”

“SILENCE, ALL OF YOU!” the voice roared, now sounding so beastly that even Lotus was quick to back up. “If you two fools won't die by the hand of the cave, I'll take care of you myself! And you, servant, you WILL bring the boy and the genie to me!” Lotus was about to take issue with being called “servant”, but that seemed very inconsequential when a different snarl came from the portal. Panchito recognized it as one of the shadow monsters that had been sent after them before. This one stomped with hard, heavy feet, taking the shape of an elephant as warped by the darkest of magics.

Panchito cocked his guns, ready to fight to free his friends. “Jose, we can take on this over-grown pachyderm!”

“Panchito, while I am both impressed by your valor and vocabulary, we have another problem!” Jose's usually calm demeanor began to unravel further, because now Donald was moving his arms, and it was a good guess where his hands were going!

~*~

How many members of his family had Donald met by now? He had lost track, but it wasn't important. He'd get to see them again, sure enough. His sister happily trailed alongside him, rattling off names and titles and pieces of history. Donald nodded along, shaking hands and exchanging hugs, but as he continued to meet and greet, he found he could hardly get a word in otherwise. Didn't they want to know what happened to him? The life he led before meeting him? How he was finally freed from his prison of false princehood by... by...?

He'd been about to shake the hand of yet another cousin, but suddenly yanked his hand, catching his breath. The blonde-haired man tilted his head, and Donald felt hundreds of eyes on him. “I-I'm sorry!” Donald sputtered out, feeling a little silly. “It's just... I don't know why, but, somehow, I forgot... my friends!” He let out a relieved laugh, glad he could remember those dear to him. “You'll want to meet them too! They're the ones who've helped me through so much! They're going to love you guys.” At first, he didn't notice the water under his feet, or that it began to rise to his ankles. “You could... you could kind of say they're my other family!”

“What a stupid thing to say,” his sister said, before suddenly shoving him hard into the water.

Donald fell face first, sputtering about and trying to sit up. “HEY! What's the big...” But as he looked around at his family, their formerly cherubic smiles were now gone, replaced with wretched scowls. “... idea...?”

“This is your family,” his sister now loomed over him, tall and imposing. “Not those misfits who took pity on a pathetic soul.”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, you're misunderstanding things!” Donald tried to back up, but now the family members were forming a tighter circle like a white cage. “I don't love you any less than I love them!”

“Love?” She repeated, tilting her head at an unnatural angle, and Donald suddenly found the water rising higher and higher. “What in the world does someone like you know about love? You were raised by a man who only cared about money! You're no better than an insipid child, but even children are braver than you are! You never even wanted to find us!”

Donald felt the now cold hands of his uncles and cousins start trying to pin him down under the water, and he screamed, trying to keep his head above water. “Th-that's-that's not true! I always wanted to find my family! But – But Mickey – he needs help, he-”

“He's nothing more than an excuse!” Now she was on her knees in front of him, grabbing him by the collar of his robes. “You cling to him to make sure you never have to look reality in the face! You're a monster, a freak! You don't know how to love, so you stick to anyone who even looks at you kindly! YOU WERE BETTER OFF UNDER GLOMGOLD'S THUMB! YOU WERE BETTER OFF NEVER BEING BORN!”

Donald gasped for air, but he was forced underwater, his lungs filling up. Even with his head submerged, he could hear all of their cruel taunts, and all the cruel truth behind them. He was scared, so scared, of the life he would lead once Mickey found his parents and left the crew behind. How could Donald understand the concept of love and family when he had been denied both since birth? Was his family better off never finding him? Was the entire world better off if he never existed?

Maybe... Maybe he should just stop fighting -

~*~

“Fight it off, Donald!” Jose pleaded, needing to use all of his strength to keep Donald's arms pinned down. “You can do this, my friend, I know it! You have to hear me!”

Everyone else was having difficulty hearing Jose, as Panchito and the monster he was fighting were making plenty of noise. Panchito had tamed many a wild horse in his younger days, but trying to wrangle a phantom elephant was a new one. He had used up all of his bullets trying to make the thing back away, before grabbing the massively long trunk and climbing atop its head. Now it was a fierce battle to steer the monster away from his sleeping friends, which was proving more and more challenging by the second. It rammed itself into the walls of the caves, causing the rocks above to come tumbling below.

Lotus was pressed to one wall, a few bored glowworms falling into her hair. “If that keeps up, the entire cave will collapse!”

“Grab the prince and the genie!” the dark voice bellowed, unconcerned with anything else. “If you want your promised fortune, then you will do as I have commanded! You won't see a single coin unless you bring forth what you promised!”

“You better triple the price, boss!” Lotus narrowly dodged a hard swing of the elephant's trunk. “Make it quadruple! Risking my life was never part of the deal! Some things are worth more than money!”

“I'll pay you ten times the agreed amount if you JUST DO WHAT I DEMAND!”

Well, some things were worth more than money, but that was a lot of money. Lotus pried herself off the wall and managed to slide over to the bodies, but her eyes widened when she saw the state Mickey was in. “And I'm guessing the deal's broken if Big Ears is also broken!” She reached down to try and stop Mickey's moving arms...

~*~

It was a great and glorious celebration! A banquet that would never end! Mickey led his friends and family in song again, with the entire palace full of people and the world full of joy. His father and mother, safe and sound, and Mickey without a title that had been unwillingly attached to him all his life. When the chorus finished, Mickey plopped into his seat, exhausted from fun and full of his favorite foods. As he tried to catch his breath, his father let out another merry laugh. “So, son of ours, have you thought what you wish to be known as?”

Mickey blinked, and then scratched his head. “Huh... I hadn't really thought that part out yet. I guess I should be known as something, if I'm not going to be the Son of Scheherazade anymore.”

“Maybe something like, Hero of the Desert?” Goofy offered.

“Legendary Pursuer of the Lost?” Daisy suggested.

Minnie sat comfortably in Mickey's lap, snuggling up. “How about, Husband of Minnie?”

Mickey felt his cheeks grow warm, and he chuckled nervously. “Aw, shucks... Those are all pretty good ones, I guess!”

“I have the perfect idea,” Scheherazade rose from her seat, approaching Mickey's side and fitting something in his hand. He assumed it was another goblet of drink. “From henceforth, you shall be known as Mickey... the Murderer.”

Mickey jerked upright in his seat. “What?!” It was then what he saw what had been placed in his hand – his sword, soaked in blood. He tried to throw it out of his hand, but his fingers wouldn't release the handle. He felt Minnie drop from his lap and onto the floor, and when he turned his head, he saw her lying motionless, a horrific cut on her neck. Mickey screamed, and screamed more as he saw everyone in the palace dead, save for his parents – Goofy, the crew, his servants, even Pete, their bodies strewn about with the same wounds, the banquet food rotting and drawing flies and the stench of blood inescapable. Mickey fumbled out of his seat, hitting the stained rug, eyes hot with tears. “Th-This isn't real! I didn't do this! I DIDN'T DO THIS!”

“It's inevitable, isn't it?” His mother asked, her pleasant voice now dripping with disdain. Droplets of blood began to dribble from her neck. “You may try to stop being my child, but you will always be your father's son. You carry his anger, and there's no denying your destiny.”

“No! I'm not like him! Pa, he, he changed! I just – I have to control my anger! I will, I swear it!” No matter how hard he tried to pull the sword from his hand, it wouldn't leave. Why did he want a sword so badly in the first place? Because, deep down, he wanted to fight? To hurt? To kill? “No! No, I just wanted to defend myself! I just wanted to be my own person!”

“And what good is being just you?” His father was behind Mickey now, his shadow dark and dangerous. “You who hurt others time and time again? What good is controlling your anger after it's already happened? You're a lost cause, you never should have left the palace. If you aren't the Son of Scheherazade, the life you are isn't worth living! ”

Mickey's arm trembled, and he found his own sword being pressed into his neck – in the exact place where the servant had tried so many years ago -

“IT'S YOUR FAULT THE PHANTOM PRINCE TOOK US, SO YOU COULD BE USED AS A PAWN!”

“IT'S YOUR FAULT MINNIE IS SUFFERING AND NO ONE CAN GO HOME!”

“IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT YOUR ANGER WILL DESTROY EVERYONE!”

“EVERYTHING IS YOUR FAULT!”

Mickey's tears rolled down his face, and he had never been more afraid in his life – what was he without the title he loathed? A murderous madman who couldn't be stopped? A stupid fool who kept trying to save everyone without seeing if they wanted to be saved? Had the grief-stricken servant been right to end things when he was a child? Why had he even been born?

Why did he think he had a right to live, why -

~*~

“Why is this happening?!” Jose at this point knew full well why, but stress often causes people to ask silly questions. Right now he was very stressed, as he was trying to use every limb to prevent his friends from strangling themselves, which now included Goofy, who was tormented by a wife and son who didn't know him because he loved adventure more than them, and Horace with Clarabelle, whose beloved Master berated them about their idiocy and who were only using him as a distraction to avoid facing their real problems. The parrot was being stretched thin, and it was a losing battle. “I can't keep this up! Lotus Blossom, you have to break them out of their trance! I beg of you!”

“I don't know how!” Lotus was amazed how strong little Mickey was, as it was a real struggle to keep him pinned down. “I didn't ask for details when I got into this plot! Listen, once I broke out prison, this stupid orb found me, and told me what to do and where to go! He offered me more money than I'd ever steal in my life! All the big guy said was not to look at the glass and I'd be fine!”

“Only I have the spells to break them free,” the dark voice sneered, “And I will only use them once I have the prince and the genie! Do you fools have any idea what you're up against? No one has the willpower to break through the Cave of Wants! It's taken thousands of lives, and they will be next!”

“That can't be true!” But even as Jose said it, he was getting a sick feeling that it could be true. He wanted desperately to believe in his companions, but every ticking second was showing that the voice was right. Right at that moment, the monster bucked hard enough to send Panchito flying, and he landed hard on his back near Jose. “Panchito!” He jumped off his allies to rush to his fallen friend, trying to help him sit up. “Panchito, you can't keep fighting that thing, you're out of ammo! It's going to kill you!”

“It's going to kill all of us if we don't do something!” Panchito said after wincing, his body aching with pain. “I refuse to believe they can't fight this! I know at least one of them can pull through! They are warriors!” He staggered to his feet, his chest heaving with pained breath. “They've gone through so much, and I've been honored to fight alongside them! If need be, I'll be honored to die defending them! I will never stop believing in my friends!” He looked down at Jose, and offered his hand with a tired smile. “What say you, Jose Carioca?”

Jose shook his head, but smiled all the same. “Common sense has never been your good friend, Panchito Pistoles... but I've always been yours.” He took Panchito's hand and rose to his feet, holding out his umbrella. “We are the Three Caballeros! No matter where he goes-”

“The one, two, and three goes!” Panchito squeezed Jose's hand tightly, and when they broke their tender embrace, they charged for the monster, ready to battle with every last ounce of strength they had.  Their hearts burned, knowing that surely in one of their friends, they were fighting too!

~*~

Cave? What cave? There was no cave to speak of here. The sun was shining down softly on a pair of lovers atop a flowery hill, the breeze calm and the world quiet. Minnie was safe in Mickey's arms, sighing in contentment, not wanting to leave this embrace for anything. Her eyes stayed closed, her back resting on his chest, and every so often, she'd say, “Please say it again.”

And he would comply each time, “I love you.”

It was amazing what true happiness three simple words brought. Minnie smiled, nuzzling her cheek affectionately to his. They didn't need anything but each other, and so she thought of nothing but him. She couldn't remember anything but him. She lifted her head, touching his soft cheek. “I want to be like this forever,” she murmured, even if she did sort of miss the way he'd blush so hard it'd touch his ears, or his stammering as if his words had fallen down the stairs. But... maybe it was better this way. Better for him to be confident in all he said and did.

“Don't worry,” Mickey chuckled sweetly, “it will be. It'll always be like this, forever and ever. I'll never let you go.”

Minnie pulled back, ready to place yet another dear kiss on his lips, when she saw that the golden mark on his neck was gone. She blinked, blinked twice, her mind fuzzy. “Where... where did the scar go?”

“Oh, that?” Mickey shrugged one shoulder, dismissive. He raised his hand to link with her fingers. “I didn't really need it anymore. After all, it's just as I said, I'll never let you go... so I'll never wish you free.”

Did she – did she hear right? Minnie tried to pull her hand back – and saw that the cuff on her wrist, usually golden and baring her and her Master's names, were now gray and dirty, with a long, unending chain attached. “What...?” She looked at her other wrist, and it was exactly the same here. “What are...”

“You don't ever have to worry about being useless again,” Mickey's charming smile grew pointed and devilish. “Because I'll bind you to me until the day I die! Isn't that the purpose of a genie?”

“You-” Minnie scrambled to get out of his lap, and when she did, she saw her ankles also chained. “Y-You're not my Master! Let me go!” She pulled at the chains, but they wouldn't budge, the grass and flowers dying.

“Of course I'm your Master, you refuse to call me anything else!” Mickey stood up, endless chains flowing from his empty hands. “Because you know you can't be anything more than a genie! You've been doing this for thousands of years! You think you could ever survive being a mortal? You can't even say my name!”

“That's – that's not...” Minnie tried to crawl on her hands and knees away from Mickey – Master – whatever this was – but the sun was being blocked out by prison bars now as high as the heavens. “I'm just... I'm just scared! It's all I've ever known!”

“So why should anything change? You can't do anything else! Can you cook? Can you clean? Can you even care about another person? HOW CAN YOU EVEN SAY YOU'RE REAL? DO YOU HAVE A HEART? DO YOU HAVE A SOUL?” Now the beast with her beloved's form threw a chain at her neck, and it wrapped around like a deadly snake. “JUST STAY A SLAVE FOREVER! IT'S WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED!”

Mickey held the chain in both hands, squeezing it around Minnie's throat. She tried to yell, tried to cry, and the weight of his words weighed heavier than all the chains now wrapping around every part of her body. Every step they got closer to saving Mickey's parents was a step towards her being a mortal, and facing all the consequences of it. How could a normal woman be of help to a prince? She wasn't like other people, she wasn't even a person. Wouldn't it be best for Mickey, best for everyone, if she just stayed in slavery?

Her Master – Mickey, Mortimer, all the ones she had served in her long life – pulled tighter and tighter, mockingly chanting the same words over and over.

“THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED! THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED! THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED!”

It would be best for everyone, best for the crew, best for all who rode that flying ship, that strange ship that didn't belong in the sea...

… And... somehow... that stayed with her. Because, in all the long, long, long years of torment and servitude...

“I've... never... seen... the... ocean...” Minnie breathed each word, opening her eyes.

“THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED!”

“I've... never seen the ocean...” Minnie repeated, her words stronger.

“THIS IS WHAT YOU -

“I want to see the ocean!” Minnie screamed, screamed as loudly as her lungs would allow, screamed with every century, every year, every day she ever had to give up her dreams to serve someone else. “YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT I WANT!” Her fingers found the strength to move, and they tried to slide under the chain on her neck, pulling and yanking. “It's been so hard... it's been so lonely... this isn't a life anyone should have! No one deserves to be a slave!” Inch by inch, the chains began to loosen. “But if I really thought I was better off this way... I wouldn't keep waking up! I wouldn't keep living! Even if I never understood before... a part of me has always... always... always been dreaming of freedom!”

The beast of her fears tried to tighten her prison again, but she slammed her forehead into his, throwing him off her body. “I don't deserve this life! Even if I am scared... even if I don't know what I'll do without my powers... Even if I can't help the person who means the most to me...” She would always be scared, but her love, her hope, her will, would triumph. If she didn't know the answers now, it didn't mean they'd never be found. “I won't run away! Whatever comes next, I'll face it! This is my life! Not for the crew, not even for him... but for myself! I WANT MY FREEDOM!”

“I WANT TO BE FREE!”

And with a huge, gulping gasp, she was – her body thrusting upward, she bolted upright, panting hard for air. Minnie was back in the cave, surrounded by her suffering friends. She touched her neck, and felt no chain. “What the...” But there was clearly no time to question much of anything. A shadowy monster was thundering towards Panchito, who couldn't get up in time, Jose having fallen some feet away. Minnie sprang up, running as fast as she could, and tackled Panchito away just in time to avoid being stomped.

Panchito landed on his back, and stared up at his heroine. “... Minnie? Oh, Minnie, you're not trying to off yourself! I am so relieved!”

“And I am so confused!” Minnie said right back, now seeing Lotus trying in vain to save Mickey, and the orb spewing smoke. “Okay, I know she had something to do with this, but what else?!”

Panchito managed to get into a sitting position, using his empty pistol as a cane. “That orb must belong to the Phantom Prince! That's what kidnapped Mickey's poor parents before! And now they're trying to take him and you! And if we don't find a way to wake everyone up, they're all going to die! The Phantom Prince said he'd only wake you and Mickey up, once he got his hands on you! And the cave might be collapsing! … But it's still nice to see you.”

That was a lot of information to get in fifteen seconds, and time was running out for everyone. They couldn't afford to wait and see if the others would find similar revelations Minnie had. “Mickey... he must need Mickey to force Lady Scheherazade to work for him!” And it didn't take a genius to know why anyone would want a genie.

“Hey, you're saying his name now! Good for you!”

Ignoring Panchito's ill-timed compliment, Minnie stood up, thinking fast. She had only one chance, and one idea, but it was time to put actual trust in herself. She was going to be free someday – not because she earned it, but because she deserved it, as all living things deserve to be. The Phantom Prince wouldn't stop what was rightfully hers – a life! “This ends here and now!” She bolted off, running around the monster's legs, running faster than it could, jumping around the falling rocks and debris. With her accumulated speed, she took a leap of faith, figuratively and literally, kicking Lotus right off her Master's body. “That's for so many things, I've lost count!”

Lotus fell on her side, the glass bit rolling out of her sleeve. “Oof... that's fair.”

Minnie pulled Mickey's sword out of his scabbard, and slammed it down hard on the glass piece, breaking it into dust. It didn't wake everyone, but now it couldn't be used to hurt anyone else. She could hear the monster approaching, and she stood in front of her friends, brandishing the sword. “Hear me, Phantom Prince! I am Lady Minerva of the Lamp, Minnie to those who love me! You need Mickey alive for your plan to work, but I'm not going to let you have him! He'd rather die than be used as a weapon against his parents, and that's exactly what's going to happen if you don't undo the spell right now on everyone!” She thrust her sword in the direction of the rampaging monster. “Either your whole plan falls apart right now, or you do something right for once and set them free!”

The monster continued to stampede forward – Jose covered his eyes, as did Panchito albeit letting his fingers slip a bit – but just as it would have stomped Minnie – it stopped. Abruptly. It looked down at her, its presence dwarfing her already small stature. “You lie,” the Phantom Prince said, the quietest he'd ever been. “I've seen your trials, I've seen your bond. Your words are bold, but your heart is weak.” There was odd assurance in his words, Panchito and Jose both noted, as if this was something he was very sure of. As if this was not the first time they'd met. The monster raised one large foot, ready to stomp, ready to force her back and make her beg for mercy.

Minnie did lower the sword, but not out of submission. No, now the sword was turned toward her Master as he lay in his haunted dreams, his eyes wide with untold horrors and his fingers secure around his throat. Minnie couldn't imagine the torture he was enduring, her own still fresh in her memories. Of course she wasn't going to kill him – of course this was a bluff – of course, of course, of course, she told herself, in order to drown a thought that was more terrifying than the prison she recently escaped. She had fought so hard, against the mirror dream and herself, to be free and independent – and here she was, making a choice all on her own, and what if – what if – what if her love for Mickey wasn't strong enough to stay her hand? This felt like an eternity, but only seconds passed, each one making the decision more difficult. But she grit her teeth. She wouldn't give in to tears.

“Can you really afford the time to test me?” Minnie didn't move, didn't shake, didn't blink.  The sword was pointed above Mickey's chest, above his beating heart.“Wake.” Jose tried to get to his feet, surely she wouldn't - “Them.” Panchito was making the same scramble, was she out of her mind  - “Up.” The sword was raised high -  “Now.” And then thrust down -

And then the orb began to float in the air, the smog beginning to swirl back inside, the portal vanishing. Minnie yanked the sword back, holding it close as she caught her breath. The monster dissolved into black ash, and a hidden wind blew it across the fallen heroes – who all began to jump into life. There were many startled cries, rubbing of throats, Horace and Clarabelle held each other while nearly crying with Goofy joining in a group hug. Jose and Panchito flew to Donald, tackling him back down with hugs and kisses and shouts of celebration, Daisy was struggling to process what was real and what wasn't, and Mickey threw himself at Minnie's back, holding her tight. “Minnie! You're alive! Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness, you're all alive! I could just kiss you!” A swift, hard pause. “I mean, not like – you know – not that I wouldn't want -  why are you holding my sword?”

While Minnie was grateful to hear Mickey's charmingly embarrassing misdirection, the day was not yet over. “Because this isn't done.”

“Huh?” Mickey lifted his head, and saw the floating orb – the smog it had collected was now rearranging itself to take on a solid form, a young man with a thin mustache, now holding the orb in his left hand, a hood over his head, his body continuously moving and shifting with the smoke. Mickey's eyes widened as he understood, letting go of Minnie so he could stand by her side. “You're... the Phantom Prince.”

“In the flesh, so to speak.” The Phantom Prince snorted at his own joke. “You surprise me, genie... to think you've changed after all these years. But you will learn your place.”

“Give me back my parents!” Mickey demanded, and soon he was joined at all his sides with his friends, each one willing to bring a brand new fight. “Your plan will never work! Your kingdom is dead, and my mother will never help you revive it! And we'll never stop fighting you! No matter what you throw at us, we'll never give up!”

“Even if you don't know where the final piece of the map lies?” The Phantom Prince asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Admittedly, that did knock the wind out of Mickey's sails briefly. “... Was kind of hoping you didn't know about that...” He shook his head, trying to restart the heroic speech. “We'll never stop looking for it, even if we have to go all around the world!”

“That won't be necessary,” The Phantom Prince waved a hand around the orb, turning it momentarily into a globe. “It's located in the fishing town of Alnihayat. It should only take you a few days to fly there.”

Now the sails, anchor, and entire boat of Mickey had the wind soundly knocked out of them. “Uh. Isn't... part of the whole 'evil villain' bit that you're not supposed to help us?”

The Phantom Prince snorted. “By helping you, I am helping myself. Why bother continuing to drag you to me if you're coming to me already?”

“This couldn't be a more obvious trap if he held up a big sign that said TRAP,” Horace whispered.

“No,” Minnie said, taking a step forward, sword still in hand. “I think he's telling the truth... he doesn't have a choice.”

Daisy leaned in closer to the group. “Did someone replace Minnie while I was out?”

“I've been thinking a lot about your plan, Phantom Prince,” Minnie continued, her sword pointed at his chest. “There's been so much of it that doesn't make sense... unless you look at things a certain way. But this entire scheme today proved it once and for all. You've had your monsters, your minions, and some bimbo thief-”

“Okay, harsh.”

“- Do all your work for you, and now you're practically giving the map on a silver platter. You waited all this time to kidnap Lady Scheherazade, her stories were legendary before Mickey was born. I don't think it was just good timing – I think it's the opposite... you're running out of time!”

Mickey was floored at the bravery Minnie was displaying, and it was only ignored once the pieces began to connect in his own mind. “Hey, I think I know what she's getting at! You're getting weaker! Whatever magic you've done to yourself, it's taken its toll! You're not the Phantom Prince because no one knows who you are... you're literally becoming a phantom yourself! And soon you'll be nothing but smoke and ash, just like your dead monsters!”

The Phantom Prince said nothing at first, his fingers curling around the orb. But even with his body slightly translucent, it was coming clear he was trembling with rage. Dark red eyes shone out from under the hood, and his voice began to thunder. “Such clever boys and girls you think you are... But in the end, I still have the Sultan and Sultana. Even at my weakest, I am still more powerful than you can ever dare to dream! I will have my kingdom restored, and I will be the rightful ruler! I AM THE PHANTOM PRINCE, AND YOU ARE NOTHING BUT THE STEPPING STONES TO MY ETERNAL GLORY!”

With this last blasphemous boast, the orb split open, and powerful dark magic struck out into the caves, slamming hard into the stone surrounding them – the walls began to crack, dust began to fall, the ground underneath their feet trembled, and there was a dull roar beginning to echo throughout the caverns.

“The cave's coming down on us!” Mickey declared, grabbing Minnie by the wrist. “Everybody out, NOW!” Goofy scooped up Lotus into his arms, and the entire crew headed back towards the entrance, the sunlight now free from the clouds. Daisy thought she heard Donald say something, or make a noise, perhaps he tripped, but there was no chance to see if he was all right. The cave was collapsing right behind them, and with one last, final, earth-shattering blow, it toppled down and sent out a harsh wind of dust and debris. Outside, the group fell over, the earth underneath them having moved due to how large the once mighty cave had been. Once the noise had stopped, Mickey dared to lift his head. “Maybe... next time... we call the magic bad guy weak... when we're outside.”

Goofy sat up, trying to do a mental count. “Everyone make it out okay?” One, two, three, four... wait...

Jose knocked some dirt off his hat. “Donald? Where is Donald?” Heads turned, but indeed, there was no sign of the bird.

Daisy sighed, getting on her feet. “Okay, before we all lose our heads, he's fine. Guy is way too dumb to die. Just give me a second to find him with my Eye, all right?” With a flourish of her hands, she closed her eyes...

… and saw darkness. Nothing.

Daisy slowly opened her eyes. “I... I didn't see anything,” she said slowly, unable to hear the words she was saying.

“What do you mean, you didn't see anything?!” Mickey demanded. “It's all the All-Seeing-Eye, it's supposed to be All-Seeing!”

“Shut up, I know what it's called!” Daisy hissed, before closing her eyes and trying again. Darkness. Nothing. Darkness Nothing. “No, no, no no no no...” If there was nothing to see, then that could only mean - “Noooo, no no no NO!” That the person she was trying to find was - “NO! NO NO NO NOOOOO!” Gods damn it all, her last words to him couldn't have been a mockery of his family! To rip his heart in two! “DONALD!” She threw herself at the remaining pile of rubble, trying to shove away the rocks. “DONALD, YOU CAN'T DO THIS! YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO BE THERE FOR ME, SO YOU CAN'T DO THIS!” He wasn't allowed to leave her! He wasn't allowed to be gone without a goodbye, a proper goodbye, she was crying and sobbing and this was worse than any stupid glass dream! “DONALD!”

The other members of the crew, save Goofy, began to pale and gasp in terrible understanding. Of course, Goofy paid attention to things no one else did, like moving sand. As the rest of the crew joined in on the desperate digging, Goofy gently set Lotus aside, stood up, brushed down his pants, and headed to a strange lump in the sand.

“DONALD!” Daisy screamed again, her fingers becoming dirty and bloody as she dug through the remains, even digging through the dirt even if that was a mad place to search. “DONALD, PLEASE! Please ... I want to wake up! The dream has to be over now! Everything's supposed to be okay now!”

Goofy stuck his hand in the lump, grabbed the softness within, and yanked it out. He then returned to the group, setting it down, dusted it off, and began tapping everyone on the shoulders one by one.

Daisy made a retching noise, unable to see anything anymore, Eye or not, with how hard she was crying. “I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it... I didn't mean any of those things... Please, don't... don't go... I'm sorry...”

“Apology accepted.”

Daisy stopped, and then whipped her head back so hard the snake in her hair flew a few inches off into a rock, sitting up dizzily. There stood Donald, looking quite amused, his entire body covered in mud and dirt. He wiggled his fingers. “Hello.”

Daisy's relief was muted by her anger and humiliation. “... WHERE THE HECK WERE YOU?!” She grabbed a fistful of pebbles, ready to throw them.

“I tripped,” Donald said, “And I knew if I got up I wouldn't make it out in time. So,” he held up one finger, letting lightning swirl around it. “I used my powers like a shield and let it fall on me. Neat, eh?” He managed to dodge the pebbles.

“NEAT?!” Daisy shrieked, ready to strangle Donald herself in place of the glass replicas. “My Eye couldn't see you!”

“Well, yeah, I got dirt in my eye.” Donald pointed at his eyes, “And it hurt, so I shut them. You probably just saw the insides of my eyelids. But!” he finished with a clap. “More importantly! Sooomebody caaares~!”

Daisy froze, now acutely aware of all the knowing eyes on her, each one more gleeful than the last. “... No, I don't. Nooo, I don't. Stop looking at me like that!”

“Daisy's got a heee-aaart!” Clarabelle sang, and Horace joined in, the two of them swaying and singing. “Daisy's got a heee-aaart!”

“SHUT UP! I do not!” Daisy huffed, stomping her heels into the ground. “I am an unfeeling monster! I lie and trick and use people for tools! I don't like anybody! QUIT SINGING THAT STUPID SONG!”

“Aw, what nice little lies,” Donald teased, pulling Daisy into a hug and patting her head. “There, there. Welcome to the world of caring.”

“You guys suck,” Daisy mumbled into Donald's chest, lying again.

Mickey rolled his eyes, taking his sword back from Minnie. “As exciting as the last couple of minutes have been, we do have another problem on our hands... with the cave like this now, how are we supposed to find the map piece? It'll take forever to dig it out!”

Lotus stretched her arms as she stood up, reaching for one last thing in her sleeve. “About that... any good thief always has a back-up plan.” She pulled out a familiar piece of paper. “And I am a very good thief.”

Minnie's jaw hit the ground, all her newfound dignity and respect gone. “You... had that piece of the map with you... the entire time?!” She hated this woman! She hated this woman so much!!!

“I found it in there, and didn't tell the big guy,” Lotus said as she handed over the piece to a stunned Mickey. “He offered me a fortune to trade you guys, but I always make it a habit to keep secrets from my employers. If you're working for a bad guy, you have to expect bad things might happen to you too. This make us even, Big Ears?”

Mickey slowly took the piece from her fingers. “You... are a horrible person. You have to know that.”

Lotus shrugged, not really caring. “The world's not always so black and white. Being gray can be the most fun. But before you guys head out on the next leg of your journey, I got one last question... why doesn't that Phantom guy just tell you where his lost kingdom is, instead of telling you where the next piece of the map is? Won't it take longer to find the kingdom itself?”

Mickey held up the third piece of the map in the sunlight. Like the other two, the words were difficult to read, the lines didn't make sense, and it didn't seem to fit in any direction with the others. He needed to think like clever Minnie. Flip it around... If the Phantom wasn't taking them to the kingdom, but to the map, it was because...

“It's because... this map isn't a map at all! We're not looking for pieces of a map – we're looking for pieces of a spell!”