Disney's Wondrous Secrets

Thanks to You, Kid!

Sarah was rummaging through a crate when she heard a rumble of the thunder so deep that she nearly mistook it for a growl. Her heartbeat doubled in pace as she wondered what was going on out there. Woody, feeling similarly, climbed up the side of the crate and sat beside her.

"Hey, partner," he greeted.

"Woody? I don't know if this is going to work," she confessed.

"We just need to trust one another," Woody reasoned.

"Yeah, but-"

"I know that it looks bad right now, but there is hope," he reassured, laying a tiny, plastic hand on top of hers. "We have The Blue Fairy, thanks to Bing Bong. And we have Robin Hood..."

Sarah, realizing that her search was in vain, began to sift through the contents of another crate. "What about Mickey? I-I lost him and it's all my fault. Who knows who's got him now?"

Little did Sarah know, the very same mouse who she was lamenting about was hiding in the grass just nearby. Though he, too, was frightened beyond all belief, he needed to grab her attention. Sarah slammed the crate shut before eying a tiny figure scurrying towards her feet. An astonished expression settled into Woody's face as he began to recognize this creature. Sarah slapped her hands over her lips, concealing a squeal. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Mickey?"

The mouse crinkled his nose in content as the girl scooped him into her hands.

"Mickey! I was so scared! I thought I lost you!" Her voice, though kept low, glistened with relief and elation. He bestowed tiny kiss after tiny kiss upon her palm, and proceeded to lick both her and Woody's cheeks.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Woody chuckled as the mouse tackled him. "It's good to see ya too!"

"How did you...? I thought they took you..." Sarah trailed off.

Robin approached the trio with Gurri, the fawns and Bing Bong in tow. Mickey leapt out of Sarah's hand and scurried towards the bewildered group. Mickey was especially attached to the pink candy elephant, circling between Bing Bong's legs.

"Wuh!" The pachyderm jumped, grabbing his own tail. "Uh... What's it doin'?"

Mickey was inwardly ecstatic. An Imaginary! Oh, hotdog! And Robin, you're here too! This is spectacular!

"What do you know..." Robin beamed.

Sarah grabbed the excited mouse and felt him squirm about between her fingers. "No way you're running away again!" she firmly decided.

Bing Bong dared to look closer at Mickey. Sarah smiled and put her hands out, presenting the little mouse to the captives.

"Guys! This is him... It's Mickey!" she whispered. "I thought he was gone, but he came back for us!"

"M-Mickey?" Bing Bong questioned. His befuddled attitude far from matched that of the rest of the group, who squealed and held each other and wiped away joyous tears.

"We mustn't be too outwardly excited about this. No one must know!" Robin reminded the group, dampening their excitement. "But this here, this is a miracle... According to the outside world, he is gone... and it must be kept that way."

Everyone's expressions took a solemn turn.

"Many enemies are looking for him. But there is one place we need to take him. Where we'll all be safe."

"Where?" Gurri asked.
Robin turned from grave face to grave face. "In time, you will all know. You can see it in the sky... glowing like a gemstone," the thief finished with a whisper.

Bing Bong rose his head, eying a small hole in the circus tent. His peek into the outside world was in vain, though, as all he could see was that glistening green mist encircling the tarp- the curse. Sarah grabbed his hand and gently tugged him away, though his eyes stayed pointed towards the sky. Time was running out, and the plan would be put into action in no time at all. In the meantime, though, Robin had ordered the group to keep under suspicion go about their daily activities, which included cleaning the tent. Halfway through this task, Bing Bong came across a tiny leather pouch hidden at the bottom of one of the boxes. Gleefully, he presented it to Sarah.

"Jackie! Jackie, look! I found somethin' for you!" he called.

"Where'd ya find that, elephant?" Gammy taunted, to which Sarah shoved him away.

"I swiped it from Pete's desk," the elephant retaliated sarcastically, earning a few giggles from Sarah. "Anyway, I think it might help Mickey."

"Oh, Bing Bong, thank you!" Sarah grinned. "It's perfect... Here you go, buddy," she breathed, lowering the mouse inside. "Now, you need to stay quiet, okay?"

Mickey found the pouch incredibly convenient and made himself comfortable. Gammy huffed in discontent, disguising his guilt. Suddenly, something tugged at the flap of a curtain. Sarah felt her blood turn to pure ice as Pete entered and waddled in her direction with several weasels in tow... all carrying pitchforks and lassos.

"Good mornin', fellahs!" the great cat boomed, sticking his chest out.

Gurri, heart hammering against her ribs, adjusted herself so that she was blocking the fawns from Pete's view.

"Aww, no need to be such stiffs!" Pete chuckled, a demonic glint pulsing in his eye. "Never before have we had such a great show for our bored audiences!"

There was no telling what was running through the ringmaster's mind. Heart in his mouth, Bing Bong felt Sarah protectively tug at his arm. Woody busied himself in adjusting his hat, wrestling with the urge to lash out at the cat. Robin, close by and hidden well, narrowed his eyes in disdain, fumbling for his dagger. Geno snarled in aggravation, keeping his deadly antlers positioned just under Pete's nose, sending a crystal-clear and bold message to the ringmaster's lackeys.

"What do you wish of us?" Gurri inquired, almost monotone.

"More of an announcement!" he boomed, proudly opening his arms wide. "I will be announcing as Baiter for tonight's performance!" Several hearts dropped to the floor and shattered against hard ground. Robin's complex escape plan completely revolved around the role of the Baiter, and this sudden change could lead to catastrophic results. A flood of despair extinguished the red-hot light in Geno's eyes.

"Oh, no!" Bing Bong cried just as Sarah chose to step forth, Woody's protective arm barely missing her shoulder.

"That's not fair!" the girl defied.

"Oh?" Pete shoved a brow into his forehead, amused. "You gonna get mad, lil' lady?"

"Mad? Mad!? You think we're fine with this!?" "Jackie!" Woody hissed.

"You forget, kid, that I'm the boss around 'ere and I get to do... WHATEVER I WANT. And are ya gonna stop me?"

Rage boiled in Robin's chest as he noticed the tears clinging to the girl's eyelashes. Sarah nibbled on her lip, keeping the floodgates shut, as she stepped back in submission. A reassuring hand settled onto her shoulder- Bing Bong's. This confrontation left a searing mark on Woody. He was going to make sure that Pete paid for this.

"No, she can't," Woody continued in the girl's place. "But that doesn't make any of this okay to do, and you know it!" A nervous lump inched up the walls of Gammy's throat. "H-H-He didn't mean that, boss!" the weasel stuttered, attempting to ease his master, who had begun to resemble a triggered bull. "He didn't!"

"No," snapped the tiny sheriff. "I meant ev'ry word."

"... W-Woody? What are ya doing?" Bing Bong's head whipped from side to side, watching as the hoard of weasels crept in closer, pitchforks and lassos at the ready.

"No." Geno lifted his head with dignity, staring the tyrannical ringmaster right in the eye. "I'll go through with it. You have my word."

"Geno, no!" Gurri sobbed, darting to her brother's side.

Pete began to cackle maniacally as one of his henchmen lassoed the innocent doe. "Sure ya will." By then, the group of captives were completely surrounded, save for Robin, who was watching from a safe distance with burning blood. Bing Bong gasped and laced his fingers with Sarah's. Gurri's fawns crept to Bing Bong's side, and his fluffy tail wrapped as tightly around them as possible. Woody, though made only of thread and stuffing, did his best of shielding his friends from Pete's wrath, which only resulted in amplified laughter from the ringleader.

"YOU BEST BE DOING WHAT YER TOLD, COWBOY! Don't want yer buddies gettin' hurt now... Do ya, pal!?"

"Leave them alone, Pete! I'll go through with it! You heard me!" Geno growled, stomach coiling into knots as he watched his sister struggle against the lasso.

"This is all thanks to you, kid!" Pete winked at Sarah, who was already on the verge of a breakdown. "Ya'll are plannin' something and I know exactly who you're hidin'." The cat took a deep inhale of his cigar before his ear-splitting laughter resumed. "YA THINK YA CAN TALK WITHOUT US LISTENIN'!? Get 'em ready, boys!" Sarah yelped in surprise as the weasels began to usher her and her companions away from Geno and Gurri. Bing Bong did his best to keep his human friend and the fawns away from the pitchforks, yet not even he was that strong and allowed himself to be led away. "Damn it," Robin breathed, paws curling into fists. He scaled a few beams and repositioned himself deeper into the shadows. However short their hope may have run, the plan would still be set in motion and the captives would be freed. Tonight... Meanwhile, Sarah's bones rattled with worry. She chucked the little leather pouch underneath one of the cages as she was being pushed along, praying that Mickey was cunning enough to stay out of harm's way. If anything happened to him, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself... Mickey pushed against the flap of the pouch and squirmed into the darkness. He could feel the tension pulsating in the air around him and knew that he had to act quickly... Halfway across the tent, buried beneath a bale of hay, he spied a cloud of lush green light, and instantly recognized this as pure magic. Relief flooded into his little chest. The Blue Fairy may have been kept under wraps thanks to the Imaginary, but she was still hard at work attempting to break this curse, and was leaving hints for the mouse to find. Suddenly, a trail of glistening, green dust settled into the air around him, igniting his curiosity. He knew exactly who had set it in his path and made the decision to follow it into the shadows. He had to be fast, though. Time was running dangerously short, and the performance was about to begin...