Disney's Wondrous Secrets

Maleficent

Dreamer had to keep his thoughts on one thing as he ran among other animals with his disguise. He wished he could look back one last time, horrified that he felt so compelled to find his way to the heart of the problem. During the fray, he happened to be the only 'fawn' running the opposite direction which caught Gurri's attention immediately. With those mothering instincts settling in, she took after him. Among the animals, Snowball took it upon his own to search for the girl and for this pure creature he had sworn to protect along with his master. Dreamer held onto Sarah's words that they were going to all return home. At once though, he found Gurri leap in front of him meaning to cage him protectively with her legs just as he was so close to the center of the street. Dreamer knew what she was trying to do but he couldn't tell her the truth just yet... In an efforts to escape from her, he wriggled and squeezed away from her but she was too quick for him.

"Gurri, please! You have to let me!" he had to cry in his disguised voice, which sounded desperate, for one.

The poor doe was cut off suddenly when lightning hit the ground near them. He had to do this for her and everyone else... as crazy as it sounded. To his horror, he found that he was cornered by this intruding mist that continued to surround him, trying to grab his legs. Gurri saw that it was too late as she watched. While Mickey came as fast as he could, he saw the remnants of that Imaginary's pure essence seem to be getting ripped right out of him. The fawn's face tightened and grimaced hard in pain as he struggled! Sarah scream was heard by everyone who were captured by the persistent shadows. Mickey mustered the best he had, shooting the brightest and strongest spell from his wand.

Blinded, everyone had to avert their eyes from the blast and the last sound they heard was the fierce rumble of thunder... before all went deathly quiet.

Dreamer, not even Figment, were not to be found amidst the silence. Sarah came to after Frollo and Quasimodo had rescued her from being ambushed by the last of the shadows. Her arm was hurt during the fray and she held a cut over her eyebrow. In the nook of her good arm, she held Woody lacking his hat, a large tear at his side. They both witnessed the horror in the street and she screamed out as loud as she could... but to no avail to help her friend. Quasimodo had to restrain her from running from him. The dwarfs all came to their presence with weapons at the ready, even if this was now a lost cause.

The pole of light from the center star dimmed further and further, the quieter it got... The ground beneath their feet continued to rumble as if an earthquake was coming. Electrical pulses shot from there to here, zapping at different places right over their heads.

"Whatever you see or hear, do not believe it..." were Quasimodo's choice of words to her, knowing what was to come.

"If you have learned anything at all, child... who do you trust more...?" Frollo's solemn tone followed shortly after.

She could only close her eyes, burying her tear-stained face into Quasimodo's chest with the still Woody held tightly.

*
The crowd was welcomed by the loud 'CLAP' of a staff hard upon the cracked asphalt. Sarah didn't dare open her eyes, but the gasps and wails of the countless characters who helped her told her enough of the truth. The magical woman stood taller than anyone, larger than life... Frollo drew his sword and barred Sarah and the ripped cowboy as the air ran cold as she neared. Other than animals beginning to roam the land, frantically upon a sudden, which included Goofy, Donald and even Gammy. But only a select few were left for the Dark Fairy to face alone.

Dreamer's own thoughts did not feel like they were his own the moment this great cloud had caught him into its web. Knowing this feeling of forgetting all too well, he fought hard against this strong hold over him... Deep down, he cried.

"Joy!! I can't hear you anymore... I can't feel you with me... Where are you!?"

"Weeping out for help, aren't you? How droll."

Whether if this was a vision or not or even another curse over him, he felt someone stroke along his new disguise's soft fur. There stood the profound and fierce woman, glaring down at the magical creature with a new and divine hatred that no words could even describe. A chill ran through his body and he shut his eyes.

"You came to me so willingly. Haven't you yet to find where you belong...?" she asked her new captive.

After she touched him, the fawn's form faltered before his true form came to be before her only as a candy laced pachyderm in a hand-me-down jacket and gloves with a cat's tail behind him. He didn't do anything to make that happen either...

"You are fighting against me, a fruitless mission, considering that you're a useless thing that serves no purpose without this magic you have been given... Answer me this. Who found you?"

"I'm... I'm not talking to you." the brave Imaginary deeply stated, finally finding his feet after being forced to transform.

"You WILL talk to me. You belong to me. You think you can just humiliate one of my closest allies and not be punished for it. Such a sickly innocent thing you are." she continued with a look of disgust over her beautiful face. "A pity that you have learned so little. Now. Answer my question. Who. Found. You?"

He felt so much pain in his head that he yelped and tried to shake it off, he kneeled down, his tail between his legs. "Okay! Ah-! I'll - I'll tell you... It was a fairy. A blue fairy... She saved me..."

"How did she save you? Only a child can conjure up things like you only to vanish shortly after."

"I-I don't remember...."

"Yes, you do!"

"I don't! I swear I don't!" his cries started to become louder. "I tried to remember the entire time, but I can't. I just can't!"

"The only reason to have you here is just to use you." Maleficent suddenly seemed so calm. "That girl you've been traveling with is no better than any other child of this generation. Greedy. Stupid and selfish. It is best that you remain with me. Yes, I am in need of your magic. My own is too weak from that Wizard's stalling. If you serve me well on this night, I will not punish you. I will teach you."

"But- n-no... My friends~"

"They were never your friends, child. Such a pity how you have fooled. Even I once valued such a thing as friendship. Only to see it as a waste of time. I also know of your brother... Where is he now?"

Dreamer felt so weak, feeling the wonderful magic he once had all begin to drain away from him. The glowing orb atop the one staff on her person was held over his head. Unlike before he couldn't look away from it and each second felt like forever. He tried to escape from it, but he couldn't move. He was trapped by the magical clouds and mist as if he was cornered against a wall. Something held him still as every last bit of what he had was taken hold over. His thoughts couldn't do anything anymore... As soon as she inched away from him, he looked up at her in horror. She marveled at the changing colors within that charged orb and caressed it. She looked down at him and that smirk got wider at the fact that he was so weak and his entire demeanor had dimmed so much that he was just a faded hue of what he once was. He tried to stand up again, but he couldn't.

"Let this be a lesson to you here, Dreamer. You will be rewarded for your contribution, but remember this... trust no one. Not even your own creator."

He took one last gaze at her face in absolute heartbreak. In truth, he could not believe her awful words. Too tired to try anymore, he could only bury his face into his arms, silently crying. As soon as she turned his back on him, however, someone's else's bright blue cloak was draped over the assaulted Imaginary. Yen Sid happened right beside him, gently covering him.

"Easy, good lad..." was the warm whisper from the Wizard. "Do not listen to her cruel words..."

"I'm trying not to..." Dreamer wept. "But... she took it all away..."

"Not all of it. Stay with me now."