Thunderbolt of Laurels

Chapter 18-Magic Mirror

"What?!" Merlin and I both exclaim at the same time.
"Well guess it makes sense how you didn't know. The shoes are magic and have the ability to change ones appearance."
"I can't believe all this is for a pair of shoes!" I yell.
"I can. They're fabulous," Merlin inputs.
"Well he's not wrong, they are. But those shoes have the power to—"
"Fool people? I think we got that part when you said Red is Snow White," I say. 
"So just take the shoes and go, I'm sure Snow doesn't mind. I think? Let me talk to her."
"No, it's too late. Those shoes don't come off ever, the only way is for her to stop breathing oxygen."
"She's going to die over those shoes? What kind of people are you??"
"Uh, mirror and not necessarily die. She'll turn into a tree that will bear new shoes. So she won't be breathing oxygen but carbon dioxide." The mirror starts laughing. "See what I did there?"
"You're a mad man," Merlin says.
"Mirror," he corrects.
"We have to stop this. Wait, how does this process work exactly?" he asks.
"Well, let me tell you. First gong! Nothing actually happens here. Just very dramatic. Second gong! The tree grows a fresh pair of red shoes. Third gong! The tree withers and dies, thus the circle of life!"
"You lying freak! So she is going to die!" I say.
"Woah woah woah, that's not very nice, but pretty much yeah."
"Isn't there any other way?"
"Nope."
"How in the world are you going to turn her into a tree? Magic?" I mock.
"If you haven't noticed I'm a mirror."
"A magic mirror?"
"Sadly, no. But Regina is a witch so-" Merlin and I gasp.
"King Whites new wife is a witch?!" Merlin says aloud.
"Uh yeah, you guys didn't get that part?"
"Those shoes really do fool people! The king married a witch that must've looked like a princess. That explains why the castle is so empty! Red was looking for the king, her father. What did that witch do to him?"
"To be honest I don't know. I can't keep track of what she keeps turning people into."
"You still haven't answered our question of how she's going to turn her into a tree," Merlin says.
"Oh right. An apple. The shoes are made of pure apple, the fruit of temptation. Anyway, Regina gives Snow White the apple and once it's in her system it'll change her into a tree."
"Where's the logic in that?" Merlin asks.
"I DON'T KNOW ITS MAGIC!" the mirror yells. "It's fine I'm cool, I'm cool. You two are driving my patience."
"What happened to the first pair of shoes that witch used to fool King White?"
"I think the shoes have an expiration date. I mean they're made of apple, fruits rot!"
"Alright, well we're going now anyways. Going to save Red, I mean Snow White and all. Thanks for the info. Where are they anyway?" I say.
"Over there," the mirror says and uses the branches from the tree he's attached to and points.
"Cool. Thanks."  The two of us start running to the other door that leads to the balcony.
"Hold on a minute there, fellas," the mirror says. Fellas? We turn around.
"What is it now?" Merlin asks.
"I gave you all that information, but with the intention that you won't ever tell anyone else."
"What do you mean?" The mirror uses his branches to shut the door in front of us.
"You're not getting out of here," the mirror says. 

I turn to Merlin. "You just had to ask, didn't you?" He grimaces.
The mirror's branches sweep the floor. We're not quick enough to react so we trip and land on our bottoms. The mirrors branches grabs ahold of our limbs and hauls us into the air, hanging in a very uncomfortable position. Then the branches spread out further and further, stretching our arms and legs, painfully.
"Hahaha, gotcha!" the mirror laughs.
"Merlin, do something. I can't get my bow," I say as I try to pull my limbs in the opposite direction.
"HELP HELP!" he screams.
"Use your spells."
"Oh right." He faces his palms together as he conjures up his magic from within. The spells in his pouch attract to his power and burst, destroying the branches that were holding us hostage.
"Hey no fair," the mirror whines. He uses more branches that come toward us. I quickly pull out my arrow, aim and shoot at the incoming branches, breaking them apart. I continuously do so as Merlin uses his spells to zap them apart. The branches keep coming, endlessly. There's too much coming too fast, like those guys Prince Average hired in the forest.
"I'm running out of arrows," I say.
"How many?" I feel the sticks coming out of the sac in my back.
"Four."
"Shoot. Where are those guys?"
 On cue, the six dwarfs break down the door to the room in unison. "We heard commotion and—" Hans starts and looks at the mirror in the tree. "What is that?"
"What? Never seen a talking mirror before?" The six shake their heads. "Oh. Anyways." He makes his branches go their way, but the F7 are too good and quick. Hans uses his shield to block the oversized branches as Arthur pulls out his sword to chop them down. The triplets, Pino, Noki and Kio, use their crossbows, and shoot at the branches like me, which come apart. Merlin joins in the fight, zapping away. I have four arrows. I have to make them count. A twirl of branches heads towards Arthur, he doesn't notice. Swish. My arrow breaks them apart.
   The branches try to rip Hans' shield away from him. He holds on but is dragged towards the tree. Swish. The wood crumbles. The mirror notices me and comes after me. Swish. Completely destroys the wood. He becomes furious and comes at me with a magnitude of branches. Uh oh. One last arrow.
 Something pulls me out of the way. No, someone. Jack uncovers part of his invisible cloak revealing his face after he rescues me. He gives me a wink. "I'm going for the heart," he whispers to me, covers his face and disappears. The heart? Oh, the mirror. I run to Merlin as a branch zooms toward him. I have an arrow but I have a feeling I need to save it. I sprint across the room and jump on him right on time. A near miss. The momentum sends us rolling away from the fight. When we stop, we get up and look at the scene. The branches have wrapped themselves around the F7's small bodies. Even Jack has been captured, his invisible cape off. "Hah, you don't fool me blondie," the mirror says.
"What do we do?" Merlin asks. I have to make this arrow count.
"I'm going to shoot, at the centre. Break him into a million shards." He nods as I load my bow. The mirror notices us, smirks and sends his branches towards us. I aim. Take a breath. Inhale. One shot. Exhale. And let go. The arrow flies smoothly in the air. Blue volts go flying beside it. I turn to Merlin who has used one of his spells and aimed it towards the mirror too. I watch as lightning intertwines with my arrow; it zooms even faster and hits right through the middle of his glass pane. The impact make the shards explode into tiny pieces. An electric arrow. Powerful.
The branches fall limp, releasing everyone in its grasp.
"We did it," I say.
"We did it!" Merlin repeats and wraps his arms around me lifting me in the air.
"Wait where's Red Shoes?" Arthur asks.
"On the other side of the castle."
"Great, let's go."
"No, we can't reach her through the grounds." I head to the pair of back doors leading to the broken balcony. "This is the only way."
"How in the world can we get over there," Jack asks.
"I've got a way," Merlin says and whistles loudly. After a few moments, thumps become audible in the distance, coming closer and closer until a large wooden bunny enters the room.
"Chonkers!" I exclaim. Merlin gets on the bunny.
"I'll go," he says.
"We'll all go."
"There's no space for everyone," Merlin objects.
"There is for me," I say.
"Alaura, it's a witch. Stay. I'm the one with the magic. I don't want anyone getting hurt." I get on the bunny anyways.
"I'm coming." He smirks slightly, trying to hide it.
"Fine."
"You sure you two will make it over that?" Arthur asks.
"I guess we'll have to see," I say. On Merlin's signal Chonker's starts to charge towards the edge of the cliff. My heart pounds out of my chest as he leaps into the air.