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starryserenade · 10 months

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Myth and Magic Ch. 20: Amhrán Na Stoirme

Fic Description: When Tir Na nÓg--the fabled land of the fae--falls to a dark power, the destinies of two young mice are set in motion. As each struggle to make their way in an ever-darkening world, they must learn to trust one another, or risk forever losing that which they hold most dear.

Chapter Description: The perfect storm. Commentary: Just want to say thank you immensely to those who've supported me throughout the course of this fic. It's meant so much to me to get to write again just for fun. Even if my writing hasn't been perfect (and it certainly isn't), you've all encouraged me through it in some way, shape, or form. So thank you <3 @thebigpalooka @shewhowantsmouseears @shannonallaround @candra-hearts

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Prologue

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter: Coming Soon

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Spark of laughter, tears of song Heart of sorrow sings along In the twilight softly fading And whispered winds, the night creating

Souls are bound, yet still unfounded Lives are lost, and yet ungrounded One spirit guides, another waits And magic stirs with words too late

Faeries are born with a most wonderful gift. At the very first spark of life, their souls become woven together with a breath of Creation itself. This is not always inherently obvious. It can take a faerie decades to discover the piece of Existence to which they are bound, and some never truly do. Only it shines in their being, and sometimes others catch a glimpse before the faerie themself ever does. Their laugh might ring with the same playful rush as a babbling brook, or their smile might catch the light in the same way a patch of snow sparkles in the sunrise. Others’ souls might yearn so deeply for life that no single thing could possibly contain the sheer potential for passion and joy that burns within them, and the sky itself twinkles and rushes and sighs with every beat of their heart.

But when a faerie’s soul reaches its end, when the ember that lights every faerie’s heart cools and fades, Creation reaches out to claim them. Then, neither the faerie nor any who look on can deny to which piece of magic they belong. Their last breath whispers the truth of their spirit, and is guided away...some to wander, others to pass on. In any sense, there is no decay, no sign of death that remains. Only a quiet beauty, and a soft echo of what once was, shining on in the thing they love most. And sometimes, rarely, something else happens, too.

Remember that, now.

Don’t be afraid.

“Trust me.”

Mickey stood at the center of the group, mist swathing his wings. Light pulsed from them bright as ever, evidence of magic reclaimed, and his eyes, in company with their usual bright kindness, burned with a steady fire. He couldn’t know it, and he’d never say so even if he did, but there was something almost noble about him, as if the same flames that shone in his eyes might leap forth and grace his head in a crown of starlight. Oblivious as he was, the others saw it, and for a moment something stirred deep within each of them. They wondered, briefly, if such imaginations were more than that. Were memories, even.

The spell that bound them began to crack.

“Trust you?! I don’t even know you!” Donald’s voice broke the silence, siphoned its power, and everyone let out a breath, shaking their heads to clear the thoughts that had consumed them. He too, had been overcome, and in truth that was what had prompted his outburst. It’s not comfortable to have strange thoughts poking at you, making you feel like there’s something you ought to remember but can’t. Makes you feel a little foolish. Like you should have been able to keep from forgetting in the first place. And Donald did not like to feel foolish.

Mickey had returned to the clearing only minutes ago, Minnie and Morgana in tow. That he was now fully returned to his human form suggested something of a shift in power. Whether Morgana had shared some profound knowledge to help coax the magic from him, or if he’d found the secret on his own, no one knew. Donald hadn’t even been fully convinced in the time prior that the silly little owl on the silvery maiden’s shoulder had a human form, despite the others’ efforts to convince him that he was, in fact, a Changeling. But Changelings were supposed to be powerful, proud faeries. Royal faeries. Not tiny creatures with no more skill than a fledgling fae.

But what irked Donald most of all was that despite all reason, he really couldn’t fully convince himself to dislike this Mickey, even when the faerie had come waltzing back over to announce a plan with hardly any sense.

‘We’re gonna take back Tir na Nog,’ he’d said with a grin, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. As if he’d not been stuck as a harmless little bird only moments ago. As if there wasn’t a bloodthirsty, faceless faerie of Mickey’s own kind (apparently) just waiting for the last of the free faeries to all but turn themselves in. It was stupid, it was idiotic, it was senseless, and…

Pah. It was noble. And courageous in a strangely familiar way, so much so that it nearly made Donald laugh. He’d had a friend like that once, he thought he recalled – reckless and good to a fault – only he couldn’t seem to remember them now.

But there was something about Mickey that made you want to hang on every word, and to do anything he said without question. Donald couldn’t explain it, nor could he fight it well, but he did try. Even if he did trust him for no good reason, he wasn’t about to let the mouse boss them all around without demanding at least a decent argument. He considered himself the smarter one of the group for that, and was proud of it.

So that was where they were now. Mickey standing there before everyone, Minnie at his side, as the ragtag group of mortals and fae – all but strangers in the grand scheme of things – waited to hear what he’d say next.

Mickey felt for Minnie’s hand and drew in a breath. If anyone in the group had questioned him a day ago, he’d probably have backed down then and there. He had no claim on these people’s lives and no real reason to ask them to listen, let alone to go out and fight a fight of his own design. But all the pieces of the puzzle had begun to fall into place, and he knew things now that kept him from budging. He knew how much danger they were in. He knew that there were things worth fighting for. And he knew without a shadow of a doubt, that there’s often more to a person than meets the eye.

So Donald was right – he didn’t know Mickey. And in truth, Mickey didn’t really know anyone. But what better place to be in, than knowing for absolute certain that every single person before you has more potential than you’ve ever seen?

“Well, gosh, you’re right, y’know,” he chuckled, and they all looked at him strangely. “But…you’re here now, aren’tcha? Came to warn us. Which tells me y’care. In fact-” A grin crossed his face, as his eyes passed from person to person. “All of ya have helped us somehow…more than you’ve even said, I’d bet. So I might not know all of ya, but I do know what sort o’ people y’are.”

“Goof,” He turned to look at Goofy, who grinned and set an arm around Max, and the child laughed brightly. “Never really knew what it was like to have a family ‘til I met you. Y’gave us a home when everyone else woulda left us high and dry.”

“D’aw gawrsh, Mick…”

“And you gals!” Mickey continued, gesturing to each of the three sirens. “Coulda just looked out for your own faerie folk, but you came all that way just to help me and Minnie, even before I knew ‘bout…well, these.”

He beat his wings, gathering a slight breeze that ruffled the fur and feathers of the onlookers. Clarabelle curtsied with a hearty laugh, Clarice giggled amidst a twirling bout of flight, and Morgana bowed her head. “It’s been our pleasure, little mouse,” she promised. “You do know who called us to you, yes?”

“Awe gee, ‘course I do,” Mickey laughed lightly, and Minnie’s countenance glowed beside him. It took Daisy a moment to realize the mice were looking her way. She’d turned her head from them both, her cheeks burning an embarrassed shade of red. After how she’d treated him, she hardly expected Mickey to include her in all this. But when no one else spoke and Donald gave her a little nudge with his wing, she glanced back up at the two of them to find them beaming back at her.

“Wouldn’t be here if y’hadn’t called your friends, Daisy,” Mickey started, and fingered the sash he’d since tied around his arm. It fluttered gently in the warming breeze, a violet splash against his emerald attire. “Or if y’hadn’t helped me just now, even. Thank you.”

Daisy didn’t seem sure how to respond. Her eyes widened and she opened her beak, but then shut it just as promptly. But a small smile crossed her face when she saw the gleam in Minnie’s eyes – a grateful, forgiving light. “Thank you, Daisy,” she whispered, her voice like a gentle bell. And Daisy, gradually regaining her confidence, cast her a wink in response.

“My point is,” Mickey went on, and his wings glistened in the ever-dimming forest glow. “You’re the kind t’help when somebody needs it, all o’ ya. An’ right now…the world needs it. Both worlds. The only way to help ‘em is to face this problem head on. We can either do that alone…or t’gether. But I think I know which I’d prefer.”

Beside him, Minnie clung to his arm and her dress whipped around her heels. Everyone could feel the tension rising, could feel the heat beginning to grow and the gentle, safe magic of the forest beginning to recede. But Minnie’s demeanor was calm, steady, and composed. Even in the brief moment of silence, in which the air was practically buzzing with uncertainty, she smoothed her hair and stood straight. She looked more a seasoned queen than a princess.

“Mickey is right,” she spoke, and her voice broke against their hesitation like a whitecapped wave. “I grew up with stories of brave, wonderful faeries, with the most beautiful magic! I never could have imagined how true they’d be. You’re all every inch the heroes I hoped to discover. And whatever may come, I’d be honored to stand beside you. It’s about time both our worlds started caring for each other again.”

A ripple of agreement passed through the group, and then Donald, crossing his arms with a huff, snorted. “All right, then. Are we gonna storm the castle or what?”

“You’ve done well, my little prince…”

Magica’s voice sent chills down Oswald’s spine, and the fur on his neck stood on end. Mortimer, who was leaned up against one of the Oak’s massive walls, rolled his eyes. But Oswald had to wonder if he’d be so upset if he knew just how miserable that simple “compliment” made him. He hated this, every second of it, but he was in too deep. He’d tried, hadn’t he? Tried so hard to at least keep Mickey out of this. But fate was cruel, and unforgiving. Seemed only fitting he’d be forced to lose him, too.

The bell he’d given Minnie, whether she chose to ring it or not, had allowed him to track her – and therefore, Mickey, too – for as long as she kept it on her person. That was something he’d intended on keeping to himself until he’d decided just how to separate the two of them. He’d figured the curse he’d set on her would drive enough of a wedge between the two of them to convince her to summon him alone…but no, no he hadn’t quite accounted for her resisting it as much as she had.

In any sense, it was too late now. They’d uncovered their magic – however incomplete it was – and that made them a threat. Magica demanded nothing less than both of them out of the equation entirely, and now…because of him…she knew just where they were.

The center of the throne room had given way that morning, its intricately carven surface decayed beyond repair. In doing so, the cavernous route system below had become nearly fully exposed, and the Egg’s flickering light shone up through the chasm. Should one look close enough, there could be seen a great expanse that extended far beneath where the roots themselves had once come together. Now they stretched onwards, withering wood reaching towards an icy abyss. The Egg pulsed weekly, encroached upon by these two fronts – one of suffocating heat and decay, the other of frigid cold and desolation.

Magica, today appearing in shadow, laughed and circled the ruin. “It’s today, boys, I can feel it,” she cackled darkly, and the threads of mist that made up her form seemed to lengthen. “The Egg’s power is nearly gone, and the faeries’ Haven is no more. We have only to be rid of those pesky little mice, and then nothing will be able to stand against us.”

“And Ortensia?” Oswald was through being coy about his intentions. Somewhere along the way he’d stopped asking, had committed himself entirely to Magica’s schemes. But now he was tired, and all but defeated. If he was to do all she was asking of him now…he at least needed to know it wouldn’t be for naught.

The witch paused, and if her eyes had been more than glowing slits he was sure he would have seen her roll them. But then she folded her hands, threads of smoke wafting off them all the while, and turned to him. “Yes, yes, of course, child. When they’ve been dealt with, their magic will be mine. I don’t believe I need to remind you it takes a Dragon’s magic to do what you’ve been so…earnestly…asking of me. I assure you I would have done it long ago if that weren’t the case…” He scoffed quietly. “Yeah, sure you would’ve.”

She narrowed her eyes, but simply threw up her hands and walked to the throne. “I’m in too good a mood to let your attitude ruin my evening.” She took a seat and flicked her wrists dismissively. “Now, go on. You’ve both got tasks to do.”

“Storm the castle” was exactly what the small band of heroes had decided to do. They were all well aware it was a reckless, risky, and perhaps even foolish plan, but they had little choice in the matter. Morgana was convinced the Dragons’ Egg was days, maybe less, away from losing its power entirely, and if Magica broke free, they’d all have a much bigger problem on their hands. The mice, though growing more comfortable in their skills, were still hopelessly inexperienced, and Morgana hoped to save them from a fight bigger than they could handle.

That said, the task ahead of them could hardly be considered easy.

They had followed the empty river back to where they’d begun, and then some, and presently, the group was perched within what had once been the edge of yet another lush forest. Now, it was only a graveyard of withered trees and foliage. Strangely human were some of the shapes of the snags and bushes, as if the plants themselves had once been alive and dancing here. Their dance was frozen now, and lifeless, and their forms were nothing more than decaying brush.

Stones, large enough to have once been used as steps to cross the water, lay bare in the riverbed, and as the group crossed them, a strange look crossed Daisy’s face, one that was almost sad.

“Ha…” she chuckled softly, as she reached the other side and glanced back at the muddy scene. Minnie took notice, and paused when she reached her side.

“What is it?”

Daisy seemed almost surprised at first, and then recollection flooded her eyes. “Ah, that’s right,” she chuckled. “Y’can’t remember.”

“Can’t remember what?”

“We’ve been here before,” Was all she said, her voice quiet and melancholy. She knew now Minnie wouldn’t hear her even if she explained.

Minnie would have pressed her anyway, had the fog not lifted just enough to reveal an enormous shadow rising in its midst. The group paused, overcome by awe and fear. Castle Dara, the enormous oak with its arching canopy of rotting wood and withered leaves, loomed before them.

“We’re here,” Morgana announced softly.

Hardly anyone moved at first. The faeries seemed like they might cry, as they took in what was now only a skeleton of the grand symbol of life and magic in their world. But even the others were struck by the sheer loneliness and despair that radiated from its branches, like magic itself was rotting along with them.

Mickey swayed dizzily, and Minnie set out a hand to steady him.

“Are you all right?” she breathed. He’d been full of hope and courage when he’d spoken to the group, and that was still there, but it was accompanied by a hazier film of exhaustion, guilt, and fear. All the strain of their journey so far seemed reflected now on his face.

“Feels like it’s…my fault…” he whispered. “But I don’t know why.”

“It’s not,” Minnie murmured back, and squeezed his arm. When he only kept staring at the scene, she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it gently. That tore his attention away, and he looked back at her with those wide, broken eyes she’d grown to care so deeply for. “And we’re going to fix all this.”

He stared at her for several moments after, and she watched as his eyes searched her. She wondered at first why the look on his face seemed so familiar. Then she realized, she’d felt it herself. This guilt and uncertainty, knowing in part what you must have left behind but having no way to grasp the whole of it, no way of knowing if you could ever really get it back…or if you’d like what you found if you did. This was his world, and he knew that now, but there was more to remembering than just knowing.

She stepped onto her toes and left a small kiss on Mickey’s cheek. “Whatever we find…” she murmured and, gaze melting, he leaned into her. “...I’ll always love you.”

Mickey chuckled, a small, breathy thing, and grasped both her hands. “Y’mean that?” he asked, touching his head to hers. Despite the tension that sparked in the air, neither could resist smiling when they were so close to each other, when their lips were just a breath away from coming together.

“As long as you promise it back.”

His hands had moved up her arms, and hovered near her shoulders as he drew her in. “Couldn’t stop if I tried,” he laughed gently, and realized then that, though it had seemed obvious, he’d never really said the words. Not quite, not out loud. He did then, fingers drifting through her hair, wrist pressed softly against the back of her neck. In the heat of the realm, her cooling touch swept through him like a river. “I love you, Minnie. I love you more than life itself.”

Minnie hummed and nuzzled into his neck. They were both trembling, fear and love clashing in their veins, but they’d have stayed like that forever if they could, if not a little closer. But the midnight aurora had deepened above their heads, and the others had slowly begun to tear their focus from the bleak silhouette on the horizon. Hearing them shift, the two let their grip on each other soften, though they trembled still, and each released a shaky breath.

They didn’t see Morgana glance their way, or how she turned just as quickly, her face twisted in guilt and pity. At her heels, Pluto knelt down and whined, watching Mickey with a sorrowful expression of his own.

The party didn’t allow themselves much time to mourn the state of their home before leaping into action. It was decided, first of all, that Goofy and Clarabelle would stay behind to create a sort of hidden refuge for any fae who may happen to be freed from the curse, but unable to fight. Clarabelle’s musical power of illusion served this purpose well, and Goofy had both a helpful spirit and Max to look after. Pluto would stay behind, Morgana had decided, to help guard them.

Clarice, with her power of enchantment, was to lure whatever fae were lingering around the castle’s borders to a place where they wouldn’t see the intruders, and Donald, who had been a palace guard before escaping the king’s spell, was to journey with Daisy to the dungeons in order to free the captured pixies.

This left Mickey, Minnie, and Morgana. Of all the faeries, Morgana was most accustomed with the legends of the Dragon’s Egg, and most familiar with what role the mice were meant to play in reviving it. She resolved to guide them to the chamber where it was kept, and to serve as their protector should things go wrong – particularly in regards to the Sidhe. Mickey and Minnie had argued vehemently at the prospect of that, but the possibility of danger simply couldn’t be ignored, and Morgana was hardly one to argue with. So they’d been forced to yield eventually, albeit with the promise that they would all do their best to avoid trouble entirely.

And then they’d set out towards the castle.

They encountered no faeries on the way. The realm was utterly silent, save for a dull thread of music that drifted through the air from time to time, and even that was so faint that it had little effect on Mickey except to make him shudder every now and again. Even so, Minnie hung close to him, hand resting upon the sash he’d tied around his arm just in case it needed to be used again.

What Minnie didn’t mention was that the closer they got to the Dara, the stronger her own curse seemed to get. It wasn’t that she still feared the truth of Mickey’s past – such a notion could not be more untrue. She trusted him, and she loved him wholly, and that was what kept her from giving into the strange enchantments that had begun to snake their way into her mind. It was just that…the images grew stronger, and a feeling of panic had begun to set in despite all reason. She did her best not to let it show, but she clung to Mickey a little tighter for fear they might convince her to let him go. Whether he noticed this or not, she wasn’t sure, but she thought she felt a spark of magic flicker through his fingertips in a moment where he grasped her hand, and the feeling receded slightly.

“Somethin’ doesn’t quite feel right…” Clarice piped in after they’d been walking a while. They could have flown, with Minnie and Daisy being helped by either Mickey, Morgana, or Donald, but this would have made it difficult to respond if they were attacked mid-flight. Although it was looking now as if that was never something they had to worry about. They’d reached the empty lake surrounding the tree and had yet to see another living soul.

“Nothin’ feels right anymore,” Donald grumbled.

Morgana looked about them with a wary eye. “Be on your guard,” she hissed. “Mickey, Minnie. Stay behind me. Donald and Daisy, take the rear.”

They made their way down into the basin, cracked with mud that had long since dried. The faeries had come prepared with Teardrops to keep them cool, but still they grew sluggish the further they pressed on, and Minnie became more and more aware of Mickey’s unsteady steps. His face was beaded with sweat, and his eyes were a duller shade of blue than she was used to seeing. It was something akin to the feverish reaction he’d had to the iron, and she wondered if they might not be related.

With a gentle squeeze of his hand, she willed her magic to flow through him. She wasn’t prepared for him to turn to her so suddenly when she did, a tired smile on his lips.

“Don’t,” he scolded her softly. “I already know y’used some of your magic on me earlier. But there’s no water around here. If y’wear yerself out, y’won’t be able to recover.”

“But you-!”

“Awe, I’m in no worse shape than any o’ the other faerie folks,” he laughed, and brushed a strand of hair from her eye. “We’re almost there, anyhow. We’ll fix this or…well, we’ll fix it. I’m sure of it.”

Morgana stopped and with a start, so did the rest. A dark shadow had fallen over the party, and they found the castle’s massive doorway before them. It, too, was dull and cracked. Whatever designs had been carved into its surface were now obscured by caked layers of dust, or so rotted they could no longer be seen.

“Could use a touch-up or two, huh?” Daisy joked quietly, a small tremor in her voice as she clung to Donald. He didn’t seem to find it very funny. Clarice stopped fluttering around and perched warily on Morgana’s shoulder. Pluto growled. Minnie and Mickey held each other's hands just a little tighter.

Anxious anticipation sparked in the air in the moments that followed, as the entire group stood in silence and stared. They’d all come prepared for a fight. No one had expected things to be so eerie. There was an unspoken certainty that whatever lay inside would be far worse than they expected. After a few moments, Morgana finally drew in a breath and spoke.

“Prepare yourselves.”

And with a thrust of magic, she swung the doors wide open.

They opened with a loud thud and settled with an ominous creaking, as if they could fall off their hinges at any moment. Dust clouded the entryway before them so that they couldn’t see through at first. The party braced themselves, waiting for the inevitable attack.

It never came. As the dust settled, only another empty expanse lay before their eyes. Morgana nearly stepped inside first, prepared to lead the others through, but Mickey swiftly pushed past her, something of a selfless act and something of unbridled curiosity, too. Both Minnie and Morgana reached out to stop him, afraid to call out for fear it might awaken some lurking creature, but he was too quick for them.

A circular room smelling thickly of wood and leafage met Mickey as he made his way inside. The floor dipped into a surrounding basin that looked as though it had once been filled with water, the walls stained with echoes of the falls that must have fed the pool, but like the rest of the world, it had long since evaporated. Faint threads of twilight filtered through high crystalline windows, each following the curve of twin staircases arching upwards into areas yet unknown. Mickey’s ear twitched as a soft splash of purple light fell across his face. This was all familiar, undeniably so, and yet so far removed from any piece of memory that he couldn’t begin to imagine why.

Blinking dazedly amidst the dust that floated about, he’d nearly forgotten he was supposed to be keeping an eye out for danger, and jumped when a hand touched his shoulder. The panic didn’t last long–it was only Minnie, as he could tell before even turning around. It had been so light, so gentle, it couldn’t be anyone but.

“Do you know this place?” she murmured, coming around him. Her eyes, too, were wide and wonder-filled. There was no denying the sense of loss and sadness present here, but there had been beauty once, and its presence still lingered.

“Not that I remember, but…”

“...It feels like I’ve been here before.”

They both spoke at once, and turned to look at one another with the same startled expression. Then Minnie winced and stumbled forward, hair falling over her face. A ragged gasp escaped her as she held a hand to her head.

“Minnie!” Daisy exclaimed, and left Donald to reach for her friend. Mickey had already rushed to her side, but she drew in a deep breath and shook her head, waving them away.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” she breathed, and as she regained her posture, Mickey caught her glance his way. That look was in her eyes again – of fear and confusion – visible even through the ringlets that fell over her face. But by the time she’d gathered her hair in her hands and tossed it back over her shoulder, the look was gone. She smiled shakily, and took notice of Mickey’s concern.

“...It’s not…it’s not you…” she murmured softly, gently, as if she thought he was at risk of being scared off.

This time, he chose to believe her. Not that he didn’t before, but guilt is a funny thing. It can make you trust all the wrong ideas, and push all the right ones away. Even so, he trusted Minnie more than he trusted anything, and if she trusted him, despite whatever her head was telling her, then he guessed…well, it was enough to keep his own doubts at bay at least.

He didn’t say anything more, but he smiled warmly and gently kissed her hand. She softened then, and let her gaze wander to Daisy who swallowed, watching the pair of them warily. “Are you sure you’ll be all right, darlin’?” she asked. “Donald and I are about to set off for the dungeons…it’s the opposite way and I just…well…I’ll stay with you instead if you’re worried…”

Minnie laughed a little at this, and smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be just fine, Daisy.” Her friend tried to smile back, but failed altogether. And before Minnie knew it, there were tears welling in Daisy’s eyes. “Oh…oh, Daisy!” she remarked too late, just as her friend burst into a fit of bawling and threw her arms around Minnie’s neck. And then Minnie was crying too. “Daisy, it will all be okay, I promise!” she managed through her own sniffling.

“JUST…JUST COME BACK TO ME THIS TIME, OKAY?” Daisy cried, and then managed to steady her tears just long enough to pull away and await Minnie’s response.

“Of course I will,” Minnie answered at last, voice choked with emotion as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “And you better do the same!”

After a moment of drying their tears, the two girls threw their arms around each other just once more, still sniffling from time to time, but more composed than they’d been. “You’re the best friend anyone could ask for,” Minnie whimpered. “Thank you for everything…”

“I am pretty great, h-huh?” Daisy laughed between a feat of hiccups brought on by the emotional outburst, and as they separated, Minnie laughed too.

“You are,” she giggled. “And I’ll see you again soon. I promise.”

Daisy drew in a deep breath, then nodded and turned towards Donald, who was tapping his foot a bit impatiently. There was a darker doorway near the back of the room that they headed for, but just before they went inside, Daisy turned back around and this time, she set her stare on Mickey.

“Protect her for me, okay?” she murmured, but the look in her eyes made it clear it was more of a command.

Mickey nodded sharply, tail curling behind him. “With my life.”

Minnie scolded him with a jab of her elbow at that, but the answer seemed to satisfy Daisy. Her gaze softened, then she turned around and was gone.

In the silence that followed their departure, the four – five, including Pluto – remaining souls took in a shared breath of trepidation.

“We’d best continue onwards,” Morgana sighed, and Clarice alighted on her shoulder, though she looked about her anxiously. “Follow me.”

They traveled up the ornate stairway, carefully avoiding the few places where the wood had rotted and given way. It was longer than either mouse expected – the palace was made for those with wings, after all, so these stairs seemed to be more for emergency or decorative purposes, not that they served either well anymore. Each floor was separated by tall flight paths with the same kind of stairwell. The higher they went, the more the structure decayed until eventually, as they went through a particularly looming passage surrounded by dry and crumbling vines, Minnie took a step and screeched as the ground beneath her feet gave way.

Mickey felt her grip on him slip and whipped around before a sound had even escaped her lips. Morgana and Clarice each gasped in horror, but Mickey lept towards her and managed to grab hold of her wrist just before she fell too deep. He grunted as he caught her, struggling to find his footing on the still-decaying surface. Pluto jumped forward and seemed about to take Mickey’s cloak in his teeth to pull him back, but Morgana shouted a command and grabbed hold of his scruff, yanking him away from the mouse despite his whining protests.

“EAGH! HOLD ON, MIN!” Mickey shouted, oblivious to anything going on behind him as he beat his wings furiously to steady himself.

“M-Mickey!” Minnie cried out, her voice halfways a whimper. The ground was far beneath her, hardly in sight. She hated to think what it’d be like to plummet that far, and grasped for Mickey’s arms with her free hand. When she’d finally torn her eyes away from the distant earth, her stare instead found its place on the stairs Mickey was trying to pull her back onto. With a frightened gasp, she noticed a wide, splintering crack forming on the surface where he stood. “Mickey, watch ou-!”

It was too late. The stair crumbled further, and Mickey lost his balance. Minnie’s heart fell to her stomach, and Mickey’s grip on her loosened. For a moment, the hand around her wrist let go, and she shut her eyes, preparing for the worst. But she’d hardly fallen an inch before feeling that grip around her arm again, stronger than it had been before, and before she knew it she’d been pulled against his chest, his arms squeezing her so tight she could hardly breathe. But she squeezed him back anyway, gripping his back for dear life. His chest heaved, every breath fueled by adrenaline and effort, but slowly, it relaxed. He relaxed. Her feet still dangled below her, but there was no sensation of falling. Only a rhythmic rush of air about her. After a few more moments to be sure she was not actually still falling, she dared to open her eyes.

Mickey held her, his wings arching behind him with every pulse. His muzzle was nestled into her neck, and his breath tickled her fur as he let out a shaky whisper. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you.”

The others watched on with sheer relief, Morgana and Clarice having both taken to the air, and Pluto, seeming altogether weightless, padded along where the stairs had once been as if they’d never crumbled at all.

Minnie craned her neck back to see his face, and set her hand to his cheek, laughing with a bit of a tremor in her tone as she glanced back at his wings. “Why…why didn’t we do this in the first place?”

He laughed too, though it was accompanied by another tight squeeze and a tiny sniffle. He’d not been confident enough yet in his flying to carry her all this way, but… now he wished for certain he’d tried. If he hadn’t caught her… No, never mind that. He had. And she was here now, safe with him for as long as they had left of this journey.

Which wasn’t much.

“Hold fast, friends,” Morgana told them, her eyes still light with relief. “The throne room is just up ahead. The path to where we’re headed is through there.”

Mickey and Minnie cast a nervous look at each other and then Mickey gathered Minnie up so that she was cradled safely in his arms. She giggled a bit as he shifted her around, sweeping his arm beneath her legs and cradling her head to his chest. Made her feel altogether like a princess. Which, of course, she was. But it is a very different thing to be a princess, than it is to feel like one.

Morgana was right in saying they were close. It took only a few short minutes for them to reach another level of the tree, and when they did, a grand entryway lay before them signaled by an enormous arch that was crested with all manner of jewels and gemstones. Mickey made sure to take Minnie well past the edge before alighting, but when they had settled to the ground and passed through the arch, they took a moment to glance around them.

More had survived here than on the other floors, likely because of the sheer level of craftsmanship clear in each and every piece present. The hallway was lined with a carpet of emerald green, still dusted with flecks of the actual stone. Bookshelves filled with countless ornate titles lined each wall, and pillars of carved sandalwood rose up to meet with a ceiling of tourmaline, of which countless colors flickered in the shifting light that shone through. They were at the very top of the Dara’s trunk, the mice quickly realized. The shadows of the tree’s branches were all that lay past the jeweled roof above their heads.

“Siren architects crafted all of this,” Morgana explained, catching the mice’s awestruck expressions. There was a hint of pride in her tone. “They wove it together with the most ancient spellsongs. It took nearly three centuries to complete.”

“It’s beautiful,” Minnie breathed, and it did not go unnoticed to Mickey that her eyes sparkled like a gemstone themselves, a gleaming brown flecked with hints of green.

At the very center of this hallway, near parallel the arch they’d passed through but a good ways in, another door stood present. It was larger than any other, not just in the hall, but in the castle itself, including the doorway they’d used to enter the tree to begin with. There was no denying this was the gateway to their destination, and upon approaching it, every member of the party could feel an unmistakable flood of magic sparking in the air.

Perhaps it was Minnie’s scare on the stairwell that had convinced the party the worst had passed or, at the very least could not overcome them. But there was little hesitation when it came to entering the room this time. They approached the threshold and exchanged silent nods, then pushed the door open together.

The two sirens gasped when the room was revealed, bringing their hands to their mouth in shock. “Oh…” Morgana breathed, and she looked as though she might drop to her knees.

The throne room was in complete and utter ruin. The crystalline ceiling that seemed so immaculate in the hall was dull and cracking here. Everything else from the pillars to the walls was falling apart, and the smell of decaying plant life was overwhelming. More stark a change than anything else, however, was the gaping chasm in the middle of the room. Tendrils of magic drifted from its depths, some icy, some full of fire, none pleasant or welcoming. Mickey and Minnie were the only ones that seemed able to get close. Morgana and Clarice reeled back, unable to approach either extreme.

The mice glanced back, confused, and then took note of one another.

Minnie’s entire form glistened like dew. A faint transparency had overcome her, not so much that she herself couldn’t be seen, but enough that it gave her form the appearance of something that shifted and flowed, reflecting the light around her and casting pools of color on the floor. Her hair hung over her shoulder and looked something like a dark waterfall, tinged with mist where it met the floor.

Mickey’s change was significantly less apparent. He glowed brighter than usual, and his wings shone with a pale luminescence–something like moonlight. Even so, he seemed…incomplete. His body was draped in shadow.

The gemstone in his cloak flared up, growing so hot that it might have burned him if it was any larger than a small stone. As it was, he felt nothing more than a pinprick of pain, and even that was overlooked. He was too busy watching Minnie, too occupied with drinking in every small movement she made as she swayed her hips and lifted her hands to look through her palms. Light struck her fingertips and cast a rainbow on the floor.

“Gosh…”

Minnie heard him and glanced his way, and instead of blushing her cheeks became tinged with the colors of the sunset. Mickey would have been content to stare for ages, but the other faeries were still waiting, still unable to pass through, and Morgana cried out to them both.

“The Egg!” She called, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. “It’s calling out to you! It’s there…within the chasm…GO!”

The mice glanced back, ashamed they’d gotten so lost in their own wonder that they’d forgotten the crucial task at hand. With a decisive glance at one another, Mickey once again swept Minnie up in his arms (thankfully, she did not slip through as he’d been secretly afraid she might), and together they approached the chasm…

And jumped in.

At first, as they glided downwards, there was little to look at but the solid wood that surrounded them, looking as though it had been recently splintered. Then, as they descended deeper, and as the world grew darker, Mickey’s glow began to cast shadows on twisted tendrils that wove all throughout an ever-expanding cavern.

Roots… they both realized. Even those looked like they were rotting.

But a single bright, yet flickering light shone down below them, growing clearer as they came down. It was with a start that Mickey realized the pitch black surface beneath them, and beneath the light they were after, was not a surface at all but a continuous expanse. He expanded his wings before going any deeper, heart beating wildy as he began to take in the massive void. It made no real sense, any of it. Beneath them was the sky, and above them were the twisting roots of the tree. In a place where the two collided — where the roots joined together in a pool of collective clouds – an egg flickered with blinding flashes of light.

Minnie gasped as she saw it and as Mickey lowered them both to the…well, it wasn’t quite ground, but a platform of sorts made by the roots, they both took in the sight with disbelief.

It was like no egg you or anyone else could have ever seen. Its exterior was made of pure water that never lost its shape, but continually rippled and flowed in spiraling currents, all surrounding an ember in its center. The ember cast brilliant beams of light in the moments where it flared, but in the moments where it calmed…it seemed as though it might flicker out entirely. It was dying, and as it cooled, so did the egg’s exterior. Patches of ice were beginning to form around its rim.

Mickey’s eyes widened. “It’s like…”

“...us.”

Minnie looked his way as she finished the sentence. Both their hearts beat in time, and somehow they could feel the harmony it brought. After a moment, Mickey swallowed and held out his hand.

“Are y’ready to try this?” he asked gently.

She didn’t say a word, but she nodded, and with trembling fingers she placed her hand in his. The two, feeling all at once their powers collided, reached towards the Egg and felt the barrier around it give way to their touch. Magic hummed, and thrummed, and pulsed all around them.

And then Minnie screamed, a horrible, painful scream that rang throughout the whole empty expanse, and dropped to her knees.

“MINNIE!” Mickey cried out, and as she fell he saw him.

Nausea flooded Mickey’s stomach. Intense familiarity, and love, and fear, and anger overcame him all at once when he saw the figure before him. He didn’t know why, he couldn’t explain it, he couldn’t remember. But he knew him, somehow.

None of that mattered. He’d hurt Minnie.

“What did you DO?!” Mickey screeched towards the stranger as he dove to his knees to meet Minnie. She held her head in her hands and was weeping uncontrollably, and nothing Mickey did seemed able to wake her from the trance.

“...not true not true not true not true…” she mumbled over and over again, shaking her head and whimpering and trembling so horribly he feared it might kill her if she didn’t awake.

“What did I do?” the figure sneered, and lifting his hood his form became clear. Tall ears and two horns, one broken, sat atop his head, and made way for eyes that gleamed with bitter anger and regret. “All I did was give her her memories.”

“That’s not true,” Mickey growled, draping a wing over Minnie as he spoke. “You did somethin’ to her! Tell me what! FIX IT!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the stranger answered, and seemed almost sad. He drew a dagger from a sheath at his side, and pointed it Mickey’s way. “Didn’t come here to explain things to you, either.”

“Yeah? Then what did ya come here to do?! HUH?!”

The stranger sighed and his ears drooped, though he held his posture high. “To end you both.”

He was fast. And had Mickey not been filled with adrenaline and rage, the story may have ended then and there. But Mickey reacted at a speed akin to lightning, and rushed the stranger before he’d even had a chance to reach the two mice. Mickey dodged the knife entirely, grabbed the stranger’s wrist, and was prepared to hold him back enough to wrench the weapon free. But when he thrust out his hand to stop the stranger in his tracks, something else happened instead.

His hand just barely skimmed something at the stranger’s side, something kept tied safely at his waist, and all at once Mickey was rendered all but useless. Images that didn’t quite make sense flooded his mind, figures he knew but didn’t know suddenly appearing in his brain. And he knew then…he knew the stranger’s name.

Mickey fell to the ground, scrambling backwards, and the figure was on top of him in a moment. The shock to his mind was so great that he hardly had the chance to register this, hardly was able to recognize the dagger about to come down on his heart. “O-Oswald?!” he gasped breathlessly, and the stranger froze, eyes wide, hand trembling as it clutched the blade that hovered just over Mickey’s chest.

He felt like a child then, and didn’t know why. Felt almost like they were playing a game, and they’d dissolve into a jumbled mess of laughter at any moment.

In that moment, Oswald was torn in two. Everything up until now had seemed worth it. No cost had been too great, no act of terror too horrible if it meant bringing Ortensia back to him. But now…well, in all of his fiercest imaginings, he’d never been able to understand what it would truly be like to be here in this moment, his brother’s life in his hands.

Mickey’s eyes were so childlike then, so filled with naivety and fear that Oswald could not bring himself to complete the task. He did try. He fought within himself for nearly a minute, and in the last moments, really did thrust the blade downwards. But he stopped it before it could pierce Mickey’s skin, and then let it fall from his hands, falling himself into a mess of trembling and tears.

Mickey just lay there for a few moments, heart and mind still racing, still wholly unable to distinguish between the past and present or to understand what was happening now. It was Minnie’s voice that broke through the wall of fog, another pained cry that tugged at Mickey’s chest.

“Mi…Minnie..” he gasped, rolling onto his side and stumbling to her. Oswald might as well have been invisible to him then, as Mickey gathered her up in his arms and rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair and trying anything he could to soothe the nightmare. Nothing was working.

Fear and uncertainty had overtaken Oswald, as he sat there beside the abandoned blade. Even now, he could still complete the task. Could make Magica proud. Could earn Ortensia’s life. Memories of her swirled in his head, tempting him to pick up the dagger and finish what he started. They’d been so at peace…so happy… they could have that again…he could hold her in his arms…he could…

His eyes caught a glimpse of the two figures beside him, and he drew in a breath. He didn’t know how he’d missed it before. Wasn’t sure how he’d been so willing to look past it, or to assume it was nowhere near what he’d had. But he knew now he’d been wrong.

Mickey held the princess in his arms, cradling her with such a gentle, heartbroken look in his eyes that Oswald himself felt the weight of his pain. He knew the curse well, and he knew that it had reached its peak. She hadn’t given in to its intentions…hadn’t accepted Mickey as the villain Oswald had made him out to be within her altered memories. So the curse was rebelling, and she was slipping away.

He also knew he had everything they needed to fix it. All they needed was their memories. Their REAL memories, and the spell would be broken.

Shaking with…with, what? Fear?.. He rose and made his way to Mickey, drawing the enchanted orb from his cloak. Mickey looked at him fiercely as he approached. For all his fragments of recollection, he still couldn’t forgive what Oswald had done to Minnie. Was still prepared to fight for her if need be. But Oswald lifted up his hands in surrender, and knelt beside him. Mickey’s eyes flashed with uncertainty, but then they softened as Oswald held out the gift, and he looked back at him next with confusion.

“This holds all your memories…” Oswald breathed, and watched with a pinprick of satisfaction as Mickey’s eyes grew wide. “Break it, and they’ll all return, and your princess will be free from her curse.”

Mickey opened his mouth, seemed like he was about to say something, but then Minnie stirred weakly and it drew his attention away. He melted, and when he looked back again, immediately went to reach for the globe.

In another part of the castle, Donald and Daisy had just reached the dungeons. The moment they entered, a swarm of jingling so loud it could be heard from the furthest edge of the faerie realm burst forth. Thousands upon thousands of pixies were held within cages that dangled from the ceiling of the prison.

“Oh!! The poor things!!” Daisy cried out, bringing her hands to her mouth.

“That’s why we’re here!” Donald declared, as if to prove he was as heroic as he knew she wanted him to be. But a glaring detail gave him pause, and sparked a thread of anxiety in his chest.

There were pixies present here. And only pixies. Where were the other kinds of faeries?

Daisy had approached one of the cages and was attempting to speak with a little pixie in a plain green dress whose cheeks had flared a magnificent shade of red as she spoke. She was upset about something, though regarding what Daisy couldn’t determine. At first she thought she was angry but no…no…the pixie’s mannerisms were getting more and more frantic. She was…she was scared…

The jingling grew louder.

Then Daisy realized.

“DONALD!” She screeched, just as thousands of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness surrounding them. “WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW!”

Before Mickey’s hands could reach the crystal, a terrible screech sounded throughout the cavern. The treasure was snatched from Oswald’s grasp in the moment that followed, before either faerie had a chance to react. He gasped and Mickey cried out in desperate panic, both of them watching as the culprit–a huge raven with the orb amidst its talons–transformed, its wings growing long and ragged as its body shifted and stretched until standing before them was a hideous Sidhe, their form strangely shaded and wispy, who held the treasure in their hands. “F-f-failURE!” It screeched in Oswald’s direction, and he shuddered, powerless to do anything. He had no magic outside of what the orb had given him.

Then it whipped its head towards Mickey. “Want this..L-l-little rat?!”

The Egg dimmed. ‘

The Sidhe dove.

Before Oswald could say a thing, Mickey had leapt off the platform and was diving straight down after them, right down into the empty abyss that lay beneath the world. It was dark, and it was cold, but Mickey didn’t care. He cried out in sheer determination and pulled his wings as close to his side as his body would allow, diving with all the speed he had to reach the Sidhe whose cackles he could hear even then.

The further he dove, the colder it got, until he realized he was diving straight over a blanket of clouds. Familiar starlight twinkled around him, a mortal moon shining on his form, lighting his path. Just before he reached the clouds, he caught up to the Sidhe, and with a furious screech, he managed to grab hold of one of their wings.

The Sidhe released a piercing scream and fought to escape his grip, but with its attention divided, it loosened its hold on the globe. The object plummeted.

Both Mickey and the faerie creature noticed quickly, but Mickey was fastest in this regard. He drew back and kicked the Sidhe, then immediately folded his wings again and dove through the clouds, grasping for the globe all the while. Mist and ice and cold wind surrounded him, and he blinked the icy tears away. He could see his quarry faintly glowing just out of reach, but he could also hear the tattered feathers of his pursuer, could hear her growls and screeches, and something like the sound of metal being drawn.

Just a little longer.

The Sidhe screeched, and Mickey’s fingers brushed against the crystal globe. With a victorious cry he gathered it in his arms and whipped around to face his pursuer.

Cold. It swept through everything all at once, and it was the first thing Minnie noticed when she blinked her eyes open. What happened? She and Mickey had been trying to restore the Egg and…

And…wait…

Mickey…

Her dear, sweet Mickey…

Her prince.

There are no words to describe the feeling that rushed through Minnie in that moment. Something like joy and elation and relief and love and every lovely emotion under the sun, all crashing in at once. She shook uncontrollably, but it wasn’t for fear this time. She remembered. She remembered. Of course it was him, it had always been him, it would always be him.

They were going to be married, that was how this had happened, all of it. They were going to…oh! Oh! The thought was too wonderful to contain. All this time and they’d already fallen in love once before. How lovely. How truly…truly…

Then something else clicked that interrupted her tears of joy. Mickey had been here…he wasn’t now. Where was he? Where had he gone, and why was it so… so cold? She gasped, shuddering as frost began to settle on her fur. No, no, no…that wasn’t supposed to happen. Not here. Where was Mickey? Where was Mickey??

She caught sight of a familiar figure near the side of the Egg, and recognized him at once as the one who’d given her the bell. He was peering down over the side of the island. She didn’t trust him, but logic wasn’t on her mind.

“Where’s Mickey?!” she demanded, shivering as she came up beside him. “Where is he??”

When he looked back at her, she knew she’d never hated a look in someone’s eyes so much.

Cold. A chill burst upwards through the chasm and swept across the faerie realm. Morgana and Clarice stood suddenly. The heat of the realm was gone, which granted at least enough relief for them to enter the throne room.

“Does this mean they won?!” Clarice piped in, her voice cheery.

Morgana grasped her dress. Suddenly, Pluto stood, his ears perked and his eyes wide. His tail drooped then, and craning his neck upwards, he let out a long, aching howl. Morgana drew in a breath. After several moments, he lowered his head and padded up beside her, his tail between his legs. When she reached out to set a hand to his fur, he whined.

“Do what you have to do,” she murmured softly.

Cold. It was so…so…cold. But it didn’t matter. His heart felt warm, in the gentlest way he could imagine. He remembered her. He remembered her. Minnie… his beautiful, shining raindrop. His princess. They were in love. They’d always been in love. And they always would be.

Above him, a shadowy figure dove down, fury in their eyes. He didn’t know why they were so angry, until he felt the shards in his hands. The globe…ah…that’s right…but how…

He’d gotten hold of it and then he’d turned around and…she’d had something new, hadn’t she? The monster, that is. The Sidhe. That’s how the globe had been broken. That’s how…

He winced, feeling a pain in his chest, and reached for the spot with some effort. Ah, that’s…that’s right.

A spear had been driven towards him just as he turned, but he’d been holding the globe by then. The weapon had hit it, and it had shattered, but it…

It didn’t stop there.

He cried out without meaning to as the pain came rushing in. The Sidhe still held the spear, still drove it deeper into his chest, the iron blade cutting through his skin and burning him all at once. And still she drove it deeper, still she dove down, until…

Ice cut through his back, water surrounded them, and Mickey found he could no longer breathe. The momentum from the dive pushed them deep beneath the surface of the lake they’d dove into, and still the Sidhe refused to relent. Mickey blinked through the blur, and knew even then the sort of hatred in her eyes was something that couldn’t be easily matched.

She stopped only when Mickey felt rock at his back, and with a final push the Sidhe drove the spear into the stone, pinned him against the lakebed. Mickey gasped, and then choked on the water that flooded his lungs. Then she murmured something in a language he didn’t know, garbled further by the water, and was gone.

Already, Mickey’s strength was failing him. He fought desperately to free himself, but the spear was lodged in the stone with a strength that wasn’t human. And to touch even the handle of the spear burned his hands, too. How the Sidhe had held it was beyond him, but that hardly mattered now.

The water pressed in from all sides. He tried to shift into something different, but found his powers all but useless in the wake of the iron weapon. He writhed and screamed, and fought so, so hard, if only to see her face one more time. But slowly, his vision began to fade, and his movements tired, and his eyes began to lose their shine. His veins burned, and his lungs burned, and he was so…so…

He saw her, in such a beautiful blur that he was certain she was an angel. Minnie. He heard a garbled scream, saw her reach for him, felt the pain as she pulled the spear from his chest, during which, strangely, the weapon dissolved before she’d had a chance to remove it completely. But he was free and, as they’d done so long ago, she pressed those sweet, soft lips to his and breathed a gentle breath into his lungs.

Then her arms wrapped around him, and he felt himself being taken upwards, her tail stirring up the water about his legs. He didn’t know much more than that, until they reached the shore and she’d had to try to drag him up all her own. He tried to protest, but found he couldn’t speak. The moment he opened his mouth, he was given into a fit of coughing and sputtering, blood and water both escaping from his lungs. She’d begun to cry–she couldn’t do it all on her own, not with the weight of his waterlogged wings. He wanted to comfort her for that, too, but then a familiar creature had risen up from the water, and he felt himself gently lifted by his cloak and set beside the shore. A Kelpie then took its place beside them, kneeling beside her master.

“G-good girl, Saoirse,” Minnie stammered through adrenaline and tears. She climbed up onto the shore and her tail dissolved again into that pretty silver dress. But Mickey didn’t see it. His eyes were locked on her face, on those lovely brown eyes, and her sweet lips, and the kindness and love written across every fiber of her being.

“M-Min…nie…” he tried to call for her, and found it far more difficult than he’d anticipated. But she heard him anyway, collapsing by his side with magic heavy on her fingertips.

“It’s all right, Mickey!” she assured him, and her tears fell across his chest. “I’m going to heal you, you’re going to be fine!”

That wasn’t what he wanted to talk about at all.

“Min…min….Minnie…” he tried again, voice hardly louder than a quiet breath. But she kept fussing over the wound, kept trying to heal it. He couldn’t see it, could hardly feel it anymore. But by her reaction, he had the feeling her magic wasn’t working. He didn’t know why. He didn’t care. He just wanted to see her. He tried again.

“Min…nie…”

And again.

“Mi…Minnie…”

And when she still wouldn’t pause, still bent over his body, he drew in every ounce of strength he had.

“Minnie.”

It took all he had, but it was louder, more firm. And she heard it, he knew she did because she stopped at once, and looked right at him, her face just inches from his own. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and her eyes were red and puffy, but it did nothing to take away from her beauty. Gently, he lifted a hand towards her face. She seemed afraid to take it, but then she melted and grasped it in her own, lifting it to her cheek where she nuzzled against it, and kissed it, and stroked the length of his fingers.

“Oh…oh, Mickey…” she choked, and tears began to roll from her eyes once more. “Please…please hold on…we’ll find proper help…we’ll…we’ll…”

“D’ya…d…d’ya ‘member…” Mickey gasped, forgetting she was talking. He’d gone searching in his cloak for two important things, and had found them both. He smiled. “We…we…were gonna…”

He was holding something, Minnie realized, and as his fingers unfurled she drew in another soft breath. What she saw first was the amulet, the same one they’d used to get to the faerie realm and…oh…

Her breath hitched in her throat again, and in that moment she completely fell apart.

It was more than a faerie relic. It was a promise. It was his promise. He’d given it to her long ago when he.. When he asked …

“Mickey, you can’t go!” she screeched suddenly, and summoned magic to her hands again. This time, he felt it, but it hurt beyond all reason and he cried out in pain, his veins burning with a searing heat. He knew, then, why her magic wouldn’t heal him.

“Min…AGH…Min, Minnie please!” He managed to grab her wrist, and the pain in his voice was so intense that she did stop finally, tears dripping down her face. “I’m sorry…” he breathed, endlessly tired. “It won’t …it won’t work…”

“But…why..?”

Magica had cursed the spear. That was why. There was iron running through his veins, more than any magic could remove. But he didn’t know how to tell her that, didn’t have the strength, so he lifted his palm to show her the silver veins that had begun to creep across his skin.

In that moment, he’d never seen her look so defeated, so utterly devoid of hope. “So it’s…you’re…” she whimpered, and her whole body seemed to go limp. “...no…”

“Min…nie…” She looked at him blankly, but he held out a hand as best he could. Selfish, maybe, but he was desperate to feel her touch just once more. Not burning with magic or trying to heal him…just…just her. And that simple, soothing magic that came from nothing more, he was now convinced, than their own hearts. “Can…you just… just stay…”

She hesitated at first, and he could tell she wanted nothing more than to try to save him again, over and over, no matter how much it exhausted her or how long she had to try. But his voice was desperate, pleading…a request she couldn’t refuse.

She swallowed a sob, and smiled. “Of course,” she whispered, and her entire countenance softened. Then, gently, gingerly, with a touch so soft he could have sworn she was lifting him with feathers all her own, she drew him into her lap and began to run her hands through his fur, whispering soft words and broken songs all the while. And the touch that had drawn them together when they’d met for the first time…a second time…flowed between them again.

Mickey’s breathing slowed, and he felt himself slipping. A silhouette appeared in the corner of his vision, and he heard Minnie’s breath hitch in her throat.

“Someone’s…Someone’s here to see you,” she murmured, though she seemed entirely heartbroken.

Familiarity, and warmth flooded Mickey’s heart the moment he heard the sound of what she’d mentioned. An anxious panting from a kind, loyal soul. He remembered him now, of course. Wasn’t afraid anymore, looks or otherwise.

“Hi…hiya, Pluto…” he managed to laugh, and as the dog came over him, it whined and whimpered apologetically.

“...at’s…okay…boy…” Mickey breathed, gasping for air between each word now. Minnie did her best to sooth him, tracing his chest with her hands. But it wasn’t enough anymore. “Y…y’jus’...gotta…job t’do…but…”

And Mickey drew in another desperate breath.

“...can I just…have…one more…min…ute.”

Pluto whimpered anxiously in response, but then nodded and padded back, sitting back on his haunches while he waited.

"Good...Good boy."

And then Mickey looked back at her.

“Min…” Mickey croaked, and she leaned in to hear him. She was doing her best to hold back tears for his sake, but it was getting harder with every second that passed.

She drew her fingers across his cheek. “Hm?”

He reached for her hands, and she took his gently.

“Don’t…don’t give up…okay…”

“Mickey…”

“Ngh…I mean…it…not on…on anyone…or anythin…and…”

He did his best to lift his head towards her, but when it fell back down with a gasp, she lowered hers to his instead.

“...a-and…” Mickey continued. “ ‘specially… ‘specially not…yourself…”

He squeezed her hand, and she felt a final flicker of warmth flutter through. “I…Min, I…”

Pluto rose up again, came within a hair’s breadth of Mickey, but lingered there for a moment longer.

Mickey’s eyelids fluttered, gaze locked on her face, and he smiled.

“I…love you…”

Pluto finally nuzzled into Mickey’s arm, and in that same moment, the breath left his master’s lips. A gentle light gathered, and then retreated into a gem around his collar.

Then Mickey sank into Minnie’s arms, and grew still, and Minnie couldn’t hold back any longer. She drew his body in as close as she could, clinging to him desperately as she cried, and cried, and screamed into the void.

And when the hours had passed, and all her tears had been spent so that she merely sat holding him, her eyes dry but her heart still aching, Creation took hold.

It was just before sunrise when the dew gathered on his fur. His body had grown cold and his face pale, and Minnie felt all but empty, but a deep and gentle magic had begun to stir. The wind swept up about the earth like a song, or a memory, and the last receding patch of starlight descended upon them. Pluto, who had curled up beside Minnie for the night, stood and howled with the wind and leapt up among the stars that swirled within it. And then the dewdrops on Mickey’s fur became like stardust, and his wings like moonlight, and in the moments that followed, the sky claimed him once more.

By the time the sun had made its way over the horizon, Mickey was gone, and Minnie stood alone in the light of the day.

#well #here we are #</3 #StoriesComeAlive #myth and magic #myth & magic #mickey x minnie #fanfiction #fanfic #my writing

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