1. Beyond_Duck

Darren walked slowly to the warehouse. He stopped and gazed upon the massive structure, and he tried to make sense of his thoughts. Confusion had been eating at him nonstop ever since he received these weird orders from some person named the Fire Lord. The name alone struck Darren as peculiar, but his orders, if he could even call them that, were even odder.

He was told he was to find someone in a realm called Disney, whatever that was. Darren had never heard of a place outside the factions, so the fact that he'd been stripped from his home and told he was to partake on some "quest" was more than jarring for him. He would've passed it off as an extravagant, well thought out joke had it not been for their ways of motivation. The only thing that made him believe this summons he received was the disappearance of his mother. They, whoever they truly were, were holding his mother, and if he didn't do as they said, she would be killed.

Darren inhaled sharply at the thought of his mother. She wasn't much, but she was family. Love was the last thing he was doing this for. He only obeyed these orders for three reasons. The first reason was that he felt obligated to save his mothers' life, even if she was practically a stranger, she still raised him, then there was the fact that he was supposed to show daunting bravery to impress and prove his worth in Dauntless, and the last reason was his natural curiosity. It all sounded so bizarre to him, he just had to see for himself to believe.

Sure enough, the warehouse existed, and it was full of vehicles, or at least that's what he was told. He didn't believe it though, mainly because where he came from vehicles were rare. Only Amity had vehicles, and even then, they only had a few. As Darren drank in the building one last time, he sighed, wiping his sweaty hands on the black fabric of his jeans. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel uneasy about the whole situation. Good thing I'm not Candor, he thought with a smirk. With that thought out of the way, he pushed his feet to lift off the ground and carry him into the warehouse.

At the sight of the row of vehicles, Darren's mouth fell agape. There were more than a couple vehicles, and they were in a variety of different shapes and styles. He had only ever seen the one style and one color. The fact that vehicles could vary as much as these did perplexed him, but he quickly shut his mouth, not wanting to express the awe he felt whelming up on the inside.

Among the array of vehicles was a cape, a box-like enclosure Darren had never seen before, and a wardrobe. He was confused as to why those three were in the warehouse, and it caused him to glance at the papers he had received. There on his papers, as clear as day, was the word vehicle. Confusion seemed to grow rapidly after he read the words, lacing his brain in a dense bog. How was a cape a vehicle? The blue box thing could very well be a vehicle, for he had no idea what it was, and the same went for many of the other so-called vehicles as well.

All of a sudden, Darren felt lost in this brand new world. That is until he forced himself to stick to something he knew well. So what did he do? He turned his attention to the only two vehicles in the room that were solid black. One of them was bulkier than the other, having two doors where the other had four, and for some reason unknown to Darren, he was drawn to this one.

With a steady pace, he made his way to the tool of transportation, giving the handle a light tug. Darren pulled the door open, and he climbed into the driver's seat, unsure of his choice. Complex buttons layered what they had referred to as the dash in Amity. Under every button, it seemed as if there was a weird blue light illuminating the surface. It made it easier to see, but it was just so... foreign. Nervously he started the car, and much to his surprise, the car moved on its own as if it was programmed to where he was supposed to go.

All of this tech left Darren feeling ignorant and slightly apprehensive. The only technology he was ever exposed to was the machinery in Amity, where he grew up, the Aptitude test, and of course, the Fear Landscape in Dauntless. However, before Darren could even begin to process this new and outlandish technology, a brightly colored ring opened before him just outside the pane of glass. On the opposite side of the ring was pale grass and some strange creature Darren had never seen. As soon as he saw this, the car lurched into the land, the colored ring evaporating behind him.

A loud shriek accompanied a sickening thud as the creature was thrown over the windshield and was then thrown over the top of the vehicle. A soft hum emitted from the vehicle, and it was no longer moving. Darren got out of the vehicle, a sudden wave of heat enveloping his senses. His eyes darted around his surroundings, blinded by the sudden intensity of the sun, and all he heard were deep growls and high-pitched screams. His blood chilled at the sounds, but first, he wanted to examine what he hit.

Darren ran to the back of the vehicle to see the creature still and unmoving. What stuck out to Darren was the walking stick that was clutched in the creatures hand, and what was even weirder than that, at the top of the stick two coconut-looking spheres tied to the stick. Darren picked it up, relinquishing it from the hand of the creature, but before he could inspect it further, another scream spilt the humid air.

His head snapped to the direction the scream came from. That's when he remembered why he was here in the first place. Darren scolded himself mentally as he clutched his fingers around the staff tightly before he took off sprinting in the direction of the scream, but he found himself overheating quickly, his pure black clothes sticking to his sweating body. As he neared the scream, he saw what confused him further.

A girl was pinned against a wall by two massive looking cats. Darren cocked his head to the side as he realized one of these giant cats was yellow and had deep red hair sprouting along its neck and chest, and even though he didn't know exactly what these cat creatures were, he was sure that they couldn't possibly be yellow and red naturally.

"Are you going to stand there and gawk, or are you going to help me," the girl hissed desperately.

The tan colored cat threw its head over its shoulder, and before long, the muscled creature was stalking toward Darren, its mouth slightly ajar and deep growls falling past its lips. Darren gripped the staff with both hands until his knuckles turned white. When the cat got close enough, he swung, and shockingly, he hit the animal in the head, somehow disorienting the feline. Darren, though he didn't quite know what he was doing, leaped toward the animal, and he placed the staff against its throat with force and pulled it back as far as he could.

His hold lasted longer than what he thought, but the cat fought back. He assumed he had hurt the feline decently as it wasn't able to break the hold he held on it. However, it was able to dig its lengthy claws into his legs and force blood to stain his dark clothing. Despite the agonizing pain, he held firm, and eventually, the cat fell to the ground with a soft cry.

The larger cat swivelled when it heard the cry, and its attention immediately fell on the limp feline. Its red hair flew crazily in the wind as it charged toward Darren. Darren expertly rolled out of the way, only to realize Ole Red Head wanted the cat who lay in the dust, and the sight was actually quite sad. Darren would've felt bad for the creatures had he been able to stare at them for a long time.

Time was ticking though, and he had to save this girl. She was his first tribute, whatever that was. Darren hadn't paid attention to precise terminology, only the basics of the mission. Darren sprinted to the girl, his injured legs crying out in a fiery roar. He ignored the pain and continues on, and when he reached the girl, he grabbed her by the wrist and practically dragged her behind him as he ran to their escape vehicle. A deep roar pierced Darren's' ears like a knife, and he knew redhead was done mourning. With his luck, the cat would want revenge for his crimes.

The pounding of paws on dirt sent Darren's heart pulsing much too quick to be anywhere near normal, but the car was so close. Had it not been for his minor wounds and the exhausting heat, they would've been there by now. Then again, the girl wasn't much of a help either. Darren felt wind swipe at his back just as he threw open the door of the car, and he knew it wasn't a breeze breaking through the plains.

Adrenaline now sending his heart thudding in his ears, fueled his hands to throw the girl inside and managed to jump in before redhead got another swipe. The cat pounced on the side of the vehicle, but both Darren and the girl were now safely within it. Darren started the vehicle and the ring of color appeared once more.

Once they were through the ring of color and the cat was long gone, Darren leaned against the steering wheel and let out a heavy sigh. The adrenaline infused blood rushing through his veins, the pulsing of his injured legs, and his uncontrollable panting all made him want to curl into a ball and sleep, but unfortunately for Darren, that wasn't really one of his options. Darren threw his eyes to the girl sitting next to him.

"What's that in your hand," Darren questioned, observing the l shaped rock the girl held tightly.

"A rock I found. It has the words pride etched into it." Her eyes were trained to the rock, but she soon closed them, leaning back in her seat. "What's up with the stick," she asked tiredly.

"I accidentally hit some animal that was holding this." Darren threw his shoulders back in a nonchalant shrug.

"One more question," the girl whispered before opening her eyes and looking to Darren. "Who are you?"

"Your mentor."

Even as the words left his mouth, they sounded like a question, but Darren couldn't fight the smirk curling his lips upward. He had successfully completed his first mission. The smirk faded as he realized his mother's life wasn't the only one on the line. This girl was in serious danger, and Darren might have just delivered an innocent girl to her death. 

2. JesterheadJohnSnow

You will use the skills and knowledge you have acquired to guide your tributes and help them win. If you don't, then we will kill your families.

Kortana shuddered at the last words of the Fire Lord. She did not wish for her parents and twin brother to end up in this mess, but it couldn't be helped.

I have to win this, the woman thought to herself. For mother, father, and Ray's sake.

She stood in front of what appeared to be a large warehouse, glowing silver in the pale moonlight. After letting out a shaky breath, Kortana made her way into the spooky building, gazing around warily. Once she entered, she nearly did a double-take once she saw the figures illuminated in the bright lights of the warehouse. Parked in a neat row in front of her were many vehicles she recognized from the movies she watched on her spare time.

"Unbelievable," she mumbled in awe.

There was the Enterprise from Star Trek as well as KITT from Knight Rider. However, the vehicle that caught the FBI agent's eye was the blue and red semi-trailer truck that was a familiar sight for fans of the Transformers film franchise. Her heartbeat accelerating, Kortana hurried over to it, her footsteps echoing across the abandoned warehouse.

This is surreal!

Her suspicions were confirmed once she saw the familiar insignia of the Autobots on the steering wheel. This vehicle was, or at the very least resembled the leader of the Autobots,Optimus Prime.

I must not have a fan girl episode, especially not now, she reminded herself.

Kortana took out the file that was handed to her by the Fire Lord's guards before she was transported here. Scanning through it quickly, she realized that it detailed her mission to rescue someone called a 'tribute' aboard a ship known as the Black Pearl. That name rung a bell for her from somewhere in the past.

"Was it from a game I played? " Kortana asked herself. "Or a movie I watched? "

It didn't matter at the moment. She had to focus on completing this mission lest she lose her family. Letting out a shaky breath, she opened the door to the vehicle and slid into the driver's seat. She had noticed that her hands were shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. Kortana always felt this way when she was about to embark on a new case at work or enter online gaming competitions. This time, however, her loved ones were at stake so it was of paramount importance she pull this off well.

Running a hand through her wavy brown hair, the profiler thought back to how she had ended up in her present predicament. It was not even a day ago when she had returned from a celebration at work to find the note plastered on her fridge. The first emotion she had felt was panic, but then she had recollected her thoughts and had had reminded herself that she was a gamer. Kortana had won those Halo tournaments by thinking rationally and she had decided to utilize that skill in this case. However, she had not expected to meet the Fire Lord to learn that he and his cohorts were behind the kidnapping.

The only way out of this is to find this 'tribute.'

She noticed a key with a purple Autobot keychain stuck inside the ignition. Curious, the gamer girl started the engine. No sooner had she done that, a blue light lit the dashboard and a familiar voice rang out.

"Welcome, human. I am Optimus Prime. I will be your guide between the realms. Good luck with your mission."

"I really don't know if you are authentic or a cheap studio knock off, but I guess we need to get started," the gamer woman said out loud.

Feeling her heartbeat race, Kortana gripped the wheel and stepped on the pedal. Suddenly, everything turned black and before she knew it, she was on a different terrain. Glancing around, she noticed that she was on the shore of some tropical island judging by the palm trees and the white sand that seemed to glow a bit in the dim twilight. It would be quite a beautiful sight had she not been preoccupied with other matters.

"Alright, game on," she murmured as she gunned the engine and sped through sand to where she thought her destination would be.Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind,

Wait, how do I need which direction to head?

That was when a screen on the dashboard of the truck flashed on. The flash was so bright she had to blink her brown eyes a bit to clear her vision. What seemed to be a GPS appeared on screen and a large blue arrow showed her the way.

"Follow the blue arrow and you should arrive at your destination in about an hour," a robotic voice informed her.

"Wow, you are full of surprises, aren't you?" she rolled her eyes .

As Kortana drove on, her mind wandered back to when she was in the Fire Lord's court. She had remembered seeing about a dozen other people in the same predicament as her, but wondered where they were now.

" Object ahead!" the voice squawked.

Snapping out of her reverie,she noticed a fallen tree ahead and swerved to her left to avoid the obstruction. Unfortunately for her, that was where the tide met the shoreline. Moreover, she forgot that her window was down.

"Ugh! "

Letting out a stream of curses, a wet and irate Kortana pounded the dashboard in rage.

I should be at home, my fingers dancing over the Xbox controller, not on some errand for a despot!

She shivered as she glanced at the landscape. The trees seemed like they were demonic hands reaching out to her in the dim light, resulting in her wishing that she would finish her task soon. After what seemed like ages, what appeared to be a dock materialized ahead of her. A dark, titanic shape of a ship was stationed at the end of it in the dark waters.

"Your destination is straight ahead," the GPS informed her.

"Damn right," she muttered. The gamer wondered how she was going to make an entrance on that ship.

Should I say 'Hi, I am looking for a prisoner, can you help me?' Nah, screw it. I will make my grand entrance!

She stepped harder on the pedal and accelerated toward the massive ship. Dock workers leapt out of the way as the vehicle sped down the dock. Kortana felt her knuckles go white as she crashed into the side of the wooden vessel. The force of the impact jarred her teeth as she broke into the ship, splinters flying around. Once inside, she had realized that she arrived inside the captain's cabin judging by the maps, candles, and furniture scattered around the room.

"You have arrived at your destination," the voice notified her.

" You think I knew that?" Kortana grumbled as she exited the vehicle, wiping a bit of blood off her cheek.

Once she made her way into the hall, she glanced around warily in case her not so subtle entrance aroused any unwanted attention. Suddenly, she heard loud footsteps behind her. A group of sailors dressed in ragged clothing had arrived, glancing at her as if she was some kind of demon.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," she raised her hands to show she came in peace. That didn't seem to satisfy them.

"She's a witch! Get her!"

With that, they drew their cutlasses and daggers and advanced on her. Sighing, she reached into her boot and pulled out her sidearm.Luckily, it was sheathed with a silencer. Once she dropped two of the sailors with a couple bursts, the others seemed to stop in confusion or horror. She used that chance to flee.

"Yo ho, Yo ho, a pirate's life for me! We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot. Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"

Kortana raised a brow as she heard the drunken singing from down the walkway.

Why are these sailors singing pirate chanteys?

Then, the thought struck her like a bullet. Somehow, she must have traveled back in time to the mid-eighteenth century. That explained the tacky clothing on those men and the shape of the ship.

Holy moly! I am on a friggin' pirate ship! she thought as she entered the nearest chamber she could find.

The FBI woman noticed that she was in someone's personal quarters judging by the bed and a desk being the only materials present. Something caught her eye on the table Curious, she stalked over, her footsteps echoing steadily on the wooden floors, and picked the item up. It turned out to be a small bronze compass.

It might come in handy down the road, she thought as she pocketed it.

Kortana turned to leave when someone entered the room. She noticed a woman with long blond hair dressed in a loose yellow gown stand between her and the door. The woman's eyes grew wide when she spotted her.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Kortana noted that she spoke with a British accent.

"I am Kortana," she smiled. "How about you?"

"Elizabeth," the woman replied. "You should not be here."

"I am aware, I ju-"

Elizabeth went out to reveal her location, but Kortana, acting on pure instinct, caught up with her and aimed her gun to the other woman's head.

" One peep out of you and I will be forced to end your life," she warned.

Soon, she left Elizabeth tied up and gagged in her room and headed for the dungeons where the prisoner was likely to be held.

"I wish I did not have to do that to the poor woman," she sighed as she entered the dungeons while evading the pirates that were on the lookout for her.

Seeing a guard with his back turned to her, she snuck behind him and knocked him out before searching the cells for her contact.

I think I just went Solid Snake on that one, she chuckled to herself.

She found a cell occupied by a figure with a bag over his head and assumed it was her target for extraction. Taking out a knife from her pocket, she picked the lock on the cell and pulled him out.

"Bear with me until we get out of here," Kortana informed him.

Not sure if he heard her, she steered them to the captain's quarters while evading pirate search parties. However, a group of the pirates were surrounding her getaway vehicle.

Damn! she cursed to herself.

"Going somewhere?" one of the pirates smirked.

"As a matter of fact , I am," Kortana smirked back.

She squeezed off a few shots , downing a few pirates. Capitalizing on the confusion, she pulled her contact inside Optimus Prime. Upon seeing her would be captors recover from the shock, she turned on the headlights of what they perceived to be an alien machine to aid in their escape.

"Hold on, this is going to get rough," she warned the tribute.

She ignited the engine and reversed the vehicle out of the ship and down the dock. Spectators who had gathered to view the sight leapt out of the way as Kortana sped past them and onto the sand.

"Time to go home," she told her companion, who still had the bag over his head.

The gamer felt relieved after she turned the vehicle around and began to make her departure. Suddenly, the sand was exploding around them, creating a blurry environment. Startled, Kortana looked back and noticed minor flashes on the side of the Black Pearl. Then it dawned on her. She pressed her foot on the pedal and moved in a zigzag formation to evade the cannon balls.

"You owe me big time!" she warned the rescued prisoner as their surroundings started to turn black.

3. Legolas-

Life is so puny in the grand scheme; limited to only a number of days and moments, some remembered, and others forgotten in the shadows of time. Separation of the remembered and forgotten is one simple notion, memory- which lives eternally, as long as one dares to remember and never forget. Every word is clear as day to Marcus, his father yelled them his way and Marcus whispered them to his daughter, for different reasons that hurt in the same way. Kicking the bucket, one way ticket to the place upstairs, gone to a better place; every phrase has to do with one event, death. Losing anyone is difficult and that sort of pain is not foreign to Marcus, he has felt loss ten times over and it grows stronger with each instance.

However painful each one has been, he can imagine no worse pain than the one in his own heart as this man- monster? Marcus cannot decide which he is at all., gone is his family and these men are responsible for their- her disappearance.

It is no longer they, he thinks to himself and shockwaves of grief roll through his body in slight tremors. Only one is alive and she has blamed him for years, and Marcus understands, he blames himself too. Sometimes he'll catch himself unconsciously thinking about her, the little things that made life worth living. If he had been a little faster, maybe events would have turned out differently. Marcus refuses to have her die still hating him, not in this lifetime, or any.

The Fire Lord, that is what the footmen called their leader although Marcus can certainly come up with a more colorful name, but he keeps that opinion to himself. Just like before- it would not be his own life he would be risking, it would be hers as well. Protect, that is Marcus' motivation for silence. Other than the footmen and the Fire Lord, only one other is present, but Marcus would rather forget him. He sits atop a throne, staring down Marcus with these stone cold eyes full of malice and drums his fingers on the arms.

Bored, his body language screeches and it puts Marcus on edge, he bored and dangerous. Which is not something Marcus wants to think about and so he does not, he uses every fiber of his being to listen to the Fire Lord.

"Are you listening?!" Sharp and enunciated words snap Marcus into attention, his spine stiff and hands clenched tightly together. The Fire Lord grunts under his breath and holds out a manilla envelope, something that is not new to Marcus. He has been help many manilla envelopes containing some of the worst news imaginable, which includes the maulings that still plague New York. Reaching out with the uppermost care, Marcus lets the envelope slip into his grasp before bringing it close, thumbing through the pages with few words jumping out.

"Begin your travels Marcus before your dear one- well, she dies because you did not succeed." Marcus stiffens and when the footman gestures for him to follow, he does so with haste. No fear, every step taken is another spought of confidence pumping into his veins like the drug it is, a false sense of hope. He has none, no real hope, although he wants to believe that he does.

When the footman does stop, Marcus halts just as suddenly, just like he did when- hesitation is a real killer or maybe it was cowardice, it shouldn't matter now, but it does. Her death still weighs on Marcus like an anchor for a boat, never letting him move forward, he just keeps going in this constant circle.

Where does one even find courage in a world of cowards? The footmen presses a rather small button that burns a vibrant blue and machinery comes to life, whirring into action to open the reinforced doors ahead of him.

Something pretty important must be inside, Marcus thinks to himself as the doors are forced to slide apart to reveal an expansive room, but nothing inside looks of value. Antique and collectibles, but nothing expensive enough to require security of this magnitude- unless...

Marcus chooses not to dwell on the fact that this really is unnatural, supernatural even as the Fire Lord claims it to be, instead this is a test.

"Choose a vehicle." The footman states and for the first time since being there, Marcus really looks at the person in front of him- he can hardly be considered a person at all. Every ounce of emotion and expression, everything that makes him human, has been wiped away and has left behind only a placid expression. Is that what Marcus looks like to Marianne, every movement stiff and robotic as he followed orders blindly in the force even if it was for a good cause. Is that what she saw in him?

Marcus turns sharply and lets his eyes dance across each of the- vehicles? Hardly any of these can be considered movable, let alone a vehicle, but this footman seems pretty serious and Marcus pushes away the thought that this could be a joke. Humoring the footman, Marcus finds himself drawn to a single van, one that he can hardly describe with words. Not because there isn't any, just that he cannot bring himself to think of her and how much she loved the old show. It is a 1960s van with a medium blue paint job and a distinctive horizontal green stripe that encompasses the van, adorned with two huge yellow flowers. . Each side of the van has a distinctive painted green panel with "THE MYSTERY MACHINE" painted in orange. The front of the van has a spare tire carrier, painted green, with one large orange flower located in the center. Two roof racks protrude from the top, and the van is also equipped with green and orange or yellow and orange flowered wheels.

Marcus hesitantly steps towards the Mystery Machine, one foot in front of the other, heart pounding in his chest. Nothing prepared him for this- the sharpness of her memory and how his scar; although healed, still stings. 'Phantom pain', that is what the doctor's call it, a pain that comes and goes with trigger memories. For him, since she is the cause of the scar, she is the memory that haunts him all day and night. Plaguing him like the Black Death did Europe, a constant and never ending terror.

Calloused fingers wrap around the handle and it creaks open with little resistance, the interior is just as he remembers it being like on the show, this is real. That is the difference, that was a show and this is reality- his reality and for some reason unbeknownst to him, fiction made its way into his life. He slips into the van, slams the door, and begins to really read what is in the folder; every last detail sticks in his mind, it is like stakes to his reality as every belief he has ever held onto, falls away.

"Find a tribute in the Disney Realm... Got it?" Marcus mumbles to himself as he twists the key and ignites the engine of the Mystery Machine, his "transport" through the different realms. The folder doesn't explain much, just that he has to collect tributes, first in Snow White's Cottage, and she is dead if he doesn't.

Peachy, Marcus hums to himself as he puts the van in drive and the journey begins as a veil of white light surrounds the vehicle, when he finally gathers the courage to reopen his eyes, he is no longer in the warehouse.

Instead, Marcus is surrounded by forests of pale browns and soft greens as birds sing in the trees, a true fairytale- a Disney fairytale.

"Reality is the biggest pile of lies I have ever heard," Marcus darkly chuckles as he pockets the keys and steps out into the world of Disney just as song bursts through the air, like honey on the ears. Marcus unconsciously brushes his fingers across the .45 still holstered to his belt, a safety precaution in this land of fluff. He doesn't let that fool him, he knows that this land crawls with villains, Disney was another favorite of Marianne's, even though she did distaste many of the more modern movies and shows.

A cottage grows more visible in the distance, drawing closer with every moment, and it sends a chill down his spine. What lurks inside those walls that seem so innocent, just as they do in every Disney movie. Stronger strides and less thought, he stops thinking and starts moving the way he was taught to do so, with conviction and purpose. Marcus reaches the door and presses his back against the wood frame, counting down in his head- one, two, three, and he is inside with gun trained.

Empty, he thinks to himself as he lowers his weapon, completely empty with nothing that outwardly screams threat. Rustling, Marcus hears the noise and tenses immediately, not alone, they are just hidden.

"Who is there?" Only silence in response, so he begins a slow sweep of the room, wooden boards creaking beneath his every step and shift of weight. "Come out!" Marcus forces his tone to be more commanding even though his throat is dry and heavy in his lungs, like concrete is slowly drowning him, but it works. Slowly a hooded figure, hunched a broken steps out from behind a shelf of seven plates and cups all neatly aligned.

Marcus raises his gun again, but he is no fool and takes note of how the story has begun to change from innocent to a much darker theme. He whispers a curse under his breath and tries to put a face to the cloaked figure, but when their finger reveals itself for only a moment to point out something behind him. Marcus spins sharply on his heel and stares down his assailant, a senile old woman wearing a cloak of shadows, the evil queen of Snow White's fairy tale, her fingers curled tightly around the handle of a basket. She curls her lips into a smirk and in a moment, all traces of her ugliness--her hooked nose and wrinkled face, fades into beauty. Beautiful, but no more than one of those monsters that maul people in New York, stab, he can feel the stab of pain deep in his heart. An unrelenting pain that cries out to be heard and it is, every day that Marcus lives and she does not.

Everything moves in slow motion, he no longer sees the Evil Queen, but the beasts of New York that he wishes to destroy with every breath he has left. Marcus fires two shots in rapid succession, no hesitation and as he approaches the now dead queen, he smiles and grabs the basket without care for the metallic red liquid that now coats his hand. Just as they did her doll, his little Marianne's doll, still covered in her freshly spilled blood and they took that last little piece of her.

Ignoring every fiber of his being that screams for him to turn back and maybe regret what he's done, he has killed before and there is no regret left. Hatred has festered inside and grown into the parasite it is, leaving only a shell of who he once was. Marcus strides across the pale grass and through the trees of deep brown wood that seems to perfect, everything here seems so perfect. Good always wins, and in the real world-

Marcus slips into the Mystery Machine without a care, nothing on his mind except one single fact as he twists the key in ignition once more. In the real world, there is no good and no evil, just a terrible world that has cruel humor, Marcus tosses the basket into the back and hears the shouts just as he leaves the Disney Realm behind.

4. Sara_R_Stark

I knew that something wasn't right.

In fact, I'd always had a feeling that there was something off about the situation I'd just gotten thrown into. Now, three men (who looked like they wanted to murder me with the daggers shoved into their belts) were leading me towards a large stone building with two metal doors guarding the entrance. None of them drew their weapons, though, which put me on edge. I was regretting coming with them already. Why had I decided to do this again?

We stopped at the front of the building, and one of the men stepped forwards, resting his large palm on the flat metal of the door. There was a loud clanking before the doors slowly began to swing open. I took an involuntary step back, eyes wide. One of the men reached back and grasped my arm in a grip so hard I felt like it would shatter my wrist. I yelped in surprise and attempted to rip his fingers off my arm, but he only tightened his grip. He dragged me inside the dark room and threw me to the dirt ground, a cloud of dust rising up around my body. I coughed, choking on the ashy particles.

Suddenly, a loud shuddering noise filled the room. I looked back in horror, watching through watery eyes as the thin sliver of outside light began fading away. The door closed completely, clicking into place. I shot up onto my feet, panic setting in. I could barely see through the inky blackness. The only thing I could hear was my heart beating out of my chest. I collapsed against one of the walls, almost in tears.

I put my head in my lap, tears slithering down my face, leaving burning tracks through the dust that had settled on my skin. I barely noticed the small flickering glow of the candle above my head until a drop of melted wax fell onto my face. I yelped in surprise, shooting up and frantically rubbing the wax off my forehead. I looked around, noticing that torches lined each corner of the room. But those weren't the only thing in there with me. In fact, I noticed multiple metal contraptions surrounding me. How had I not run into those before?

I walked up to the darkest one. I couldn't name the oddly shaped vehicle if I tried. I ran my finger over the polished surface of the dark machine, marveling the intricate designs and smooth metal pieces lining whatever the gadget was. The thing was, I had absolutely no idea how it worked. I hopped up on top of the oddly shaped box, and almost fell off again when the glass cover on the top of the machine popped up with a hiss. Curious, I stepped inside the contraption, settling into the plush seat inside. Before I knew what was happening, though, the roof sealed itself above my head, locking me inside. I screamed in surprise and banged my fists up against the ceiling, head spinning.

Then, much to my surprise, the machine began to slide forwards. I was confused. What kind of dark magic was used to propel it forwards?There were too many questions for me to answer, so I attempted to settle back into the seat, watching through the darkly tinted glass panes separating me from the outside world as it continued to move forwards. The doors locking me inside the building slid open and bright sunlight filtered into my vision once again.

Then the machine began to pick up speed. I panicked, falling forwards and hitting my nose up against the glass window to my right. I sat back up quickly, seeing stars. I felt myself fall back into the seat, the blood still trickling out of my nose, as darkness overtook me.

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping, and for a moment, I almost thought that I was back home. But then reality caught up with me and I shot up in the seat, almost hitting my head on the roof still trapping me inside the machine. I tenderly brought a hand up to my nose, relieved to find that it wasn't broken. I raised my hands back up to the ceiling, forcefully pushing upwards. To my surprise, the roof opened, steam emitting as it rose up to its full height before refusing to rise up anymore. I stood up, stepping over the seat. I catapulted myself over the side of the machine and out into the sunny blue day, my feet contacting the soft dirt underneath the vehicle.

I was in the middle of a forest, the trees around me all looking healthy and full of life as the sun shone brightly through the leaves. I stepped forwards, my vision swimming as stood up straight. I was wearing my strong hiking boots today, which I was relieved I brought because this trek would have been torture without them. The forest seemed to stretch on forever, only breaking when a large hill separated it from the glistening ocean beyond. I don't know what I was looking for, but I knew that I'd have to hurry and find something soon or else I would never find a way to get back home.

Luckily for me, I found something sooner than I'd expected. I approached a small clearing with a large tree in the center. This tree had multiple large holes dug into the thick trunk, each covered up by a miniature door. I walked up to the largest door and lifted it up, coughing as dirt rose up out of the area underneath it. I looked down the hole and into the darkness below, not hearing anything except the sound of my own breathing. I knew that I'd need to get down that hole, so I put a foot in through the opening. I didn't feel ground straight away, so I hoisted myself up and over the edge, pushing myself off the ledge of the trunk and down into darkness. The fall only lasted seconds before I hit the dirt floor, rolling to a dizzying stop in the middle of a torchlit common room.

The room itself was just like my cellar back home. The floor was dirt and roots danced across the walls and ceiling. I stood up quickly, wiping the dust off my travel skirts and cloak. I had to go through this place quickly. I crept carefully into one of the small rooms connected to the main one I was standing in. It was separated from the rest of the rooms with a thick red curtain, which I pulled aside silently. The room was seemingly empty except for a small, unmade bed and a crudely crafted wooden chest. I strode over to the chest and gingerly lifted up the lid, rummaging through the fortunes held inside. I found many marvelous things, including a feathered headdress, a cloak made of a bear skin, a large metal hook, a vial of a sparkly substance, and a weighted gold key.

I set everything back into the chest except for the vial, examining its contents carefully. I had no idea what the substance was. It looked like regular house dust I'd sweep out of Mother's cottage in the mornings, but it shimmered as if it had been enchanted. I tucked the vial into my cloak pocket, not wanting to dawdle any longer. I exited the room again, pushing the curtain back into place. None of the other rooms had a curtain like the first, so I simply stuck my head through their doorways to see if I could find anything else useful. None of the other rooms seemed to have anything, which I found disappointing. I exited the last room, my heart racing. I looked around again, finding a long ladder leaning up against the wall next to me that seemed to reach up to the top of the tree.

I scaled the ladder quickly, my eyes locked on the large hole up above my head that woulds lead me to freedom. I picked up my pace, reaching the opening quickly. I hoisted myself up and over the edge of the narrow exit and out into the darkening skies. My eyes narrowed as I struggled to see my surroundings.

Suddenly, rapidly approaching footsteps sounded from somewhere off to my right. I gasped and ducked behind a tree, peering through a crack in the branches as a group materialized out of the darkness, handheld torches lighting up their gritty features. They were all dressed up in the clothes of fools, which I would have found humorous if not for the evil intentions behind their eyes. Most of them seemed to be triple my age, muscles rippling underneath their colourful shirts. The supposed leader of the group walked up to the tree, peering into the hole I'd just exited out of. He turned back towards his group, a malicious grin darkening his features.

"It seems the girl was correct," he mused, toying with the long black mustache resting above his top lip. "As I promised, she will be set free as soon as Pan's hideout is exploited."

I glanced towards where the man's gaze rested, and my eyes focused on the barely illuminated form hidden behind two more men. I could vaguely see ropes tying their arms together, but there wasn't enough light to see anything more. The group began to advance on the hideout in the tree, ripping the crude doors off their woven hinges with cries of foul laughter. I was about to slink back into the trees and return to my machine when a cry of absolute torment filled the air.

A figure exploded from the sky, illuminated by the green glow of a miniature pixie flying to his right. The young male had carrot orange hair and young features, and he was clothed in a ripped green shirt and tight green pants. A pointed green cap sat atop his head, a single red feather tucked into one of the seams. He crossed his arms over his chest, hovering in the air above the group of me infiltrating his supposed hideout.

"Oh, so he shows at last!" the leader chuckled evilly. "You won't stop us this time, Pan!"

"I won't let you take it!" the younger boy cried, his voice strained as if he'd been crying.

"That's what you think!"

The boy screamed angrily, whipping a daggar out of his belt. He zipped down from the sky, plunging the blade deep into the chest of the man nearest to the leader.The man's eyes widened as he stumbled backwards before crumpling to the ground, blood staining the dirt underneath his corpse. The men all shouted in anger, ripping swords out of their belts as they charged the boy.

He attempted to escape, struggling to make it over to his tree as tears slipped down his cheeks. He struggled to fly up into the air, but one of the men slashed him in the ankle with their sword. A look of complete and utter surprise fell across the boy's face as he plummeted to the ground, hitting the dirt with a grunt of pain.

The leader stepped forwards and the group surrounding him dispersed. The man smiled evilly, slowly pulling out his sword. A look of pure fear crossed the boy's face as the man raised his sword.

"I've waited my entire life for this moment, Peter Pan," the leader mused.

All was silent until the sound of metal against flesh filled the air. The anguished cry of Peter Pan filled the air, and I watched as his eyes, so young and so confused, dulled. His body went limp. My anger spiked. As everyone was distracted, I tore out into the clearing and snatched up the arm of their prisoner. Before they realized their hostage was gone, we were already deep in the shadows of the forest, away from the horror of the night.

5. Several7s

Midnight stared at the various methods of transportation before her. The warehouse was full of them, each from a different movie or show. So much for it all being fictional.

She recognized a few of them from movies and shows she'd seen before. Optimus Prime, KITT, and the Tardis, among others. She had always believe it was just fiction. That the shows were just things meant to take your mind off of the harshness of reality. Clearly that wasn't true. At least, not anymore. The Fire Lord and Unseliee King had been her first clue, but she hadn't quite believed it. Now she wasn't sure what to believe.

I guess I should choose one, then. All of the other mentors were already heading to various vehicles, so she entered the dimly lit warehouse behind them. Her gaze flicked to KITT. She had always wanted a car like that. Why not take advantage of the opportunity? With a grin, she headed over and opened the door, sliding in to the front seat.

"Hello Trisha," KITT said.

Midnight frowned. Maybe choosing a highly intelligent AI car wasn't the best idea. She didn't realize it could identify her. "How do you know that name?" she demanded.

"I took your fingerprint, so no one else would be able to get into the car," KITT explained. "You are Trisha Davids, are you not?"

"Please... don't call me that. It's Midnight now. And we're going to..." she paused. She'd forgotten to check the file that the Fire Lord gave her. She opened it now and skimmed it quickly. "The Jungle."

"You should buckle. The road is going to get rough."

***

Of all the places she could have been sent, she had been sent to a jungle. Midnight slapped a branch out of the way and trudged through the trees, sweat dripping down her face. Ask her to find someone in the middle of a city and she could have done it easily. But a jungle? She'd lived her whole life without even seeing a forest more than once or twice, much less going into one. How was she supposed to find the boy she was supposed to mentor in this?

The whole situation frustrated her. She'd spent years on the run from various people, all alone. But as soon as she found someone to care about, someone to love, they were used to manipulate her.

She heard the wailing as she was passing the dark alleyway. The cries of a terrified child. It could be some sort of trap. Midnight glanced into the alley, curious. If it was a trap, she was confident she could get out anyway. Most of the local gang members weren't very skilled. The only real risk was numbers.

The cries intensified, and Midnight cringed. If anyone else had heard it, they might have just left. She should have. It wasn't her problem. But she walked into the alley anyway.

It wasn't some sort of trap. Instead, a young girl stood on the middle of the alleyway, sobbing. Midnightwatched, unsure of how to deal with the situation. The girl looked spotted Midnight, and threw her tiny arms aroundMidnight's legs. The gesture awakened some sort of motherly instinct in Midnight, and she knelt, wrapping her arms around the girl. "Hey, don't cry," she whispered. "You'll be alright. What's your name?"

The girl sniffled, and looked up at her with bright green eyes. "Lily."

Midnight remembered the look on Lily's face when they tore her away. Her terrified scream. "Mommy!"Midnight's fists clenched. She would get Lily back, and the second she got the chance, they would leave. She didn't care what happened to the tributes she was supposed to mentor. They could live or die- that was on them.

Something moved on her right, and she turned to see a deer darting off in the distance. Her eyes narrowed. It wasn't just the deer- someone or something else was there. She could sense them. A hunter, searching for their prey. She'd felt this malicious intent all the time in the city- mostly when she herself was being hunted.

Her eyes narrowed, and she pulled out her switchblade. "Who's there?" she called.

A young man stepped out from the behind several bushes, a couple hundred yards away. He held a bow drawn pack, and pointed it at her. "Who are you?" he asked. "Why did you chase away my prey?"

She glanced back at where the deer had been. Had she just scared away this man's dinner? "Will you go hungry because of me?" He didn't look like he lacked nutrition. Still, she knew what it was like to go hungry, and she would feel awful if he went hungry because of her.

"They aren't food," he spat. "They're enemies."

Midnight resisted the urge to laugh. "That's ridiculous. They're all terrified of you. What could they possibly have done to become your enemies?"

The hunter's eyes narrowed. "You're like the boy, aren't you?"

"What boy?"

"He betrayed the village and sided with the wild beasts." He grinned. "But Mowgli got what he had coming."

Did they kill him just for trying to defend the animals in the jungle? And I thought the city had problems.

"Look, I'm not here to cause problems. I'm searching for a boy... probably a foreigner here."

An arrow whizzed past her, slicing a thin line across her cheek. She wiped the blood away and looked up, her eyes narrowing.

The hunter held up his bow, already reloaded. "What do you want with him?"

If it's a fight you want, I'll give you one. She was about to attack when a low growl sounded behind him. He screamed as a panther jumped him from behind, pinning him to the ground. His second arrow went flying somewhere high into the air as he released his bow. The panther snarled in the man's ear, and he squirmed. She thought she even heard him whimpering.

Midnight stepped forward, eyeing the panther. Was it protecting her? Her hand tightened around her knife and she moved closer. It didn't react, so she knelt next to the hunter. "Where's the boy?"

He lifted his head a few inches and spat on the ground near her feet. Her eyes narrowed. His life was in danger, and he was still this determined to protect a foreign boy? He must think his chances of getting out alive were high.

Which means he has a trick up his sleeve. Why else would he risk his life? She looked down at his hands, and saw him reaching for a knife. He tried to stab the panther, but she grabbed his arm and stole the knife.

The panther moved off of him, and she pushed her knife up against his throat. "I'm only going to ask you once more. Where is the boy?"

Either it was the panther looming behind her, or the dark look in her eyes, but either way, the hunter completely lost his resolve. "He's in the village jail! Please, don't hurt me! Don't let Tendua kill me. I have kids!"

Tendua must be the panther. "I have a kid to. Her life is riding on you, so get up." Midnight stood, dragging the hunter up with her. "Lead me to the village. And if you try anything, I'll sick Tendua on you."

Despite her threat, she wasn't sure if she could get Tendua to attack the guy. He just stood behind her, growling every so often. It was weird, and honestly a little creepy. The panther followed them, almost like a protector, but his consistent growling made Midnight wonder if she should be trusting him. Still, he hadn't attacked her. Yet.

She couldn't figure out what he wanted from her, though. He was following them, so he must want something. In fact, it almost seemed like he was trying to say something, but whatever it was, she wasn't getting it. It's not like I can translate a bunch of growls and snarls.

The village was small, and situated right across a river. The easiest way in was to cross the bridge. But if she went in that way she'd get caught immediately. The hunter tried to make a break for it the second he was sure Tendua was gone, but Midnight knocked him out before he got more than a few feet. She left him under a bush and headed for the river. If she swam across in the right area, she could approach the village from behind and get a decent view of the whole thing.

When she made it across the river, she climbed a tree and examined the village from above. It was a simple layout- a large ring of houses, a meeting house in the middle, and a small guarded house near the edge of the village. That must be the jail. Probably not the best place to put it, considering how easy it would be to escape from the building if you had a sharp instrument. Still, it worked in her favor, so she couldn't complain. It's their loss, not mine.

Something whacked her in the head, and she cursed. A monkey hung from a branch above her. It ran off as soon as she looked up at it, but as it left, she thought she saw it wave. She rubbed her head and glared at the retreating monkey. Stupid animals.

Reaching down, she picked up the stone the monkey had dropped on her. It looked perfectly ordinary, but wisps of smoke were coming off of it, and it looked like flames were dancing inside of it. She raised a brow. Normal rocks didn't smoke. Might be worth keeping. She slipped it into her pocket and crept closer to the jail.

Two people guarded the only way in or out. Both looked completely serious about their job. I need a distraction, then. She remembered the time she'd been working with a gang member, Scorpion, on some job. He had told her to seduce the guards. Didn't work then, and it definitely won't now. It's a two person job, anyway. Her fingers curled around the stone.

Maybe she could get them to think she was coming from somewhere else and slip inside. All she needed to do was get through the door. If she got that far, she could cut through the bamboo bars in the window and escape into the forest with the boy. Just like old times. Distract, get in, and get out. She chucked the rock.

The fire that resulted engulfed a house in seconds, and caused chaos. She stared, amazed, as the fire engulfed a second, and then a third house. She'd thrown the stone pretty far, but the fire was already getting close to the jail. Crap!

The guards had already run off, shouting for water. She ran inside the jail and grabbed the arm of the only person inside. "Follow me, and stay as quiet as possible," she demanded.

He nodded, and they headed out. As they were leaving, she spotted the flaming rock and scooped it up, slipping it into her pocket.

Tendua reappeared after they crossed the river again, and loped off through the trees. He came back when she didn't follow, and ran off again. When he came back for the third time, he snarled, and pawed at the ground. For a moment, he didn't move. Midnight sighed. "I don't know what you want!" she hissed.

"Follow him," the boy suggested. Tendua nodded, and Midnight stared at the cat. Well... I don't have any other way of finding KITT.

Tendua ran off again, and this time they followed him. Thankfully, he did take them to KITT, and Midnight slid into the front seat, relieved to have completed her mission without much of a problem.

"Alright, KITT. Let's get out of here."

6. animallover1321

I cant believe this is happening; being kidnapped by the Unseelie King.... and now he is making me come to this old warhouse to go to some stange island, she thought as she opened the rustic warhouse door.

She looked around the room there is vehicles covered in tarps. As she uncovered the first one it was a hippy painted van. "Someone really loves colors," she murmerd to herself. The next vehicle was a black four door car that looked like a older model but had taken care of. Sage wanted to see all the cars before she picked one. But this car was definitely better then the hippy van. As she untarped the last vehicle whitch was a Semi-truck she knew she was definitely not going to be driving that or the car that talk. Its definitely the four door she got in the car as she looked in the mirror she saw something big.

She got out of the car and went over to it. What is this...she thought. It took her a while to get the huge tarp off it then she finally realized it was a space ship. This is awesome but I dont know how to drive this thing back to the car it is, she thought. Then she noticed something in the back. A wardobe? What was that doing in a warhouse for vehicles.

Suddenly, a mouse scurried acrossed the floor at her feet. She jumped and fell into the wardobe. She looked through all the coats and noticed that there land. This must be the place she thought. Leaving the wardrobe everything was blackend and covered in ash. In the distance she could see a big lava monster and three individals surrounded by lava.

" Use the hook!" They three people where yelling. At her feet was a huge hook. A hook? What do they want me to do with this? she thought as she picked it up. " Think of an animal you will turn into it!" she heard them say. The first thing she thought of was a eagle she always wanted to know what it was like to fly.The next thing she knew she was flying it was amazing. "Hurry the lava is getting closser!" They were screaming at her. She had no time to have fun she had to help them.

As she swoped down one of the girls said "Catch.. Restore the heart to Te Ka!" She caught the stone in her beak and flew toward the moster. The moster was gynormous it reminded her of some of the demons she has fought but this moster was bigger. The monster through a lava ball at her but since she was small she douged it with ease. She had to hurry the lava was almost to there feet. Where would the heart be in this thing... She just took a guess and flew tward its chest. She slammed the stone into the monster and it began to transform. The lava stopped and the 3 indivdals were safe.

She almost didnt want to turn back she felt so free being a eagle but she remembered what she was really here for the tribite... The monster was now not even a monster anymore it was now a lush Island. "You did it!" The girl who tossed her the stone yelled. The man walked up to her and said she could keep the hook and told her thanks for saving their lifes. The other girl who seemed different thanked her and started to walk off. That must be her the tribite I am suppossed to get. She took off after the girl.

The ground began to shake and tremble. "It didnt work!" The peppy girl said as the ground when from a bright green to a black gray color. "We have to get out of here follow me!" Sage said to them. They all three followed her as lava monster exploded out of the ground. The green stone or what they called the heart was laying on the ground at her feet she picked it back up. Maybe this will be useful somehow, she thought. The sky was blackened by all the ash. She hoped that the wardrobe was not destroyed.The next thing she knew the peppy girl and the big guy was swooped up by the monster. Her tribite screamed there names and was going to try to save them. Sage hated not being able to help people it reminded her of all the death she has seen in her life especially innocent life. "Its to late we have to go!" Sage told her as she pulled the girl into the wardrobe.

7. tiffanyjane1997

The 67 Chevy Impala at the very end of the ware-house was quick to catch Chris's attention. Tentatively he walked over to it, gliding his hand on the smooth bonnet. "...or we'll kill your family" they had said. He kept repeating the words to himself over and over again. Though he had left his family the day he had chosen erudite, that didn't mean they didn't matter anymore. He was going to do this. 'Time to find that tribute' he thought as he heaved his backpack over his shoulder and slid inside the car. He looked around. "No keys? Am I supposed to drive with my mind?" he thought as he placed his hands on the steering and at once the engine roared to life.

His task was simple, find the tribute and bring them back...what's the worst that can happen? He thought as he hit the gas pedal. Instantly, the entire setting of the empty warehouse dissolved and was replaced by a purple revolving trapezoid which seemed to engulf him completely. There was no time for him to reflect on various scenery changes as he was ripped from his dimension and dragged through wormhole of time and space.

He materialized somewhere at the edge of a cliff. Slowly he got out and went near the edge, looking down he could see the entire Palace. Its many pointed towers gave it the look of an eccentric crown. It was as big as twenty of the ordinary houses from his hometown. He took in the many sculptures, water fountains, and the perfectly manicured hedges as he weighed in how many guards were present. There was no possible way to enter the palace from the ground, he thought. But that was not his intention anyway. He intended to enter from the air.

He checked his backpack which contained a neatly-folded base jumping canopy, ready to pop out at a moment's notice. In Chris's old faction Base jumping was one of the most respected extreme sport since it contained parachuting without aircraft. It required tremendous amount of courage, and being from a faction like Dauntless, Chris had learned the art long time ago. The moment he had seen the location on the file, he had thought out the whole plan, including how he entered.

He looked down, measuring the distance. Hoping that nobody will decide to look up he jumped.

He went from naught to sixty miles-an-hour in 3 seconds. Everything was a blur, the wind hammered his face, eyes watered because of the sudden acceleration. He pulled the toggles releasing the parachute as he descended smoothly, floating and dangling underneath the black canopy against the black sky. Pulling the brakes, he landed on one of the many roof of the Palace and waiting for a while until his heart rate slowed, he quickly packed the parachute roughly in his bag.

The roof was silent with only one staircase at the far corner. With a determined look on his face, he headed towards it.

He headed down the stairs taking them two at a time. He burst out in one of the large palace rooms. A couple of guards passed and Chris ducked out of sight, "Queen is upset, can't believe it's stolen" one of the guard was saying.

"Could be anyone!" the other said. The first guard chuckled "first that...now this!" Chris backed out from where he was hiding. He just had to find the entrance to the royal dungeons. He had no doubt that the tribute he was meant to save would be in there somewhere. Taking another left he found himself heading for one of the many towers.

An hour later he emerged into an empty corridor somewhere, looking more lost. His head had started to hurt already. The corridor led up to a single door and just as he cautiously stepped in; a shadowy figure raced towards him, a large wooden stick in hand. Quick as a whip he ducked but the wooden stick still slammed into his shoulder. As he yelled in pain, the girl who had been holding the stick backed away and then dashed for the door but it had slammed shut and tug as she might it didn't budge.

She turned at Chris angrily "look what you did!"

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Who am I? Who are you!" she retorted.

Chris shrugged "apparently I am here to rescue!" he said, her eyes widened at that as she threw herself at him, hugging him.

"I can't believe this! I was waiting for a handsome prince to come and fly me away but when that didn't happen, I thought I'll have to save myself!" she said letting go.

"You have to help me! Cinderella is not who everyone thinks she is! People think she is this sweet and kind girl who was abused by her mother and step sisters, but that's not true! She's the mean, deceitful, cunning and manipulative one! She didn't do any work at home. Wasted her time with those mice and birds! When she married the prince, she knew he'll soon realize her true colors, but since he had promised he'll marry the one whom the shoe will fit, she ordered her guards to arrest the girl with the same shoe size! That's how insecure and evil she is! I couldn't hide from her"

"How'd you break out the dungeons then?" Chris asked.

"Cinderella isn't the only one with four-legged friends..." she said with a devious glint in her eyes. "Alright lets go before anyone figures out you are missing." Chris said examining the door. "Any idea how to open it?"

She lifted up her skirt and pulled out a wand from one of its many folds. "You have a wand?" Chris asked incredulously.

"I stole it" she said, handing it to him. "Although if I knew how to use it, I would have used it already!" she said.

Chris took the wand from her uncertainly and waved it at the door for a couple of times.

Nothing happened.

"Am I supposed to say something?" he asked, as he thought hard to the story of Cinderella which he had read so long ago. In the story the wand was used merely to convert something into something else...was this how it worked?

"Let's try" he said with a sigh and began "Bibbidi...Bobbidi...Boo--Put them together and what have you got...?"

"Bibbidi...Bobbidi...Boo?" she asked.

"It'll do magic...believe it or not!" Chris said as suddenly sparks flew out the wand and almost at once the entire door turned to a beautiful beaded curtain.

"Wow" she said. "Let's go" Chris urged and together they raced through the corridor and took the stairs to the tower Chris had first entered.

He heard footsteps behind him, "we need to get back on the cliff" Chris said "lead the way" he said to her, looking over his shoulder.

With her help it took them less than 10 minutes to find their way out the palace and into the gardens. All the time Chris kept looking over his shoulder making sure they were followed.

"I hope you take me to the cliff without anyone finding out. I don't want anyone else following" Chris said as they found the narrow trail in the woods, which surrounded the palace gardens, winding all the way up to the cliff.

As they reached the top, the girl's eyes widened at the sight of the impala parked few paces away. "I can't believe I made it" she squealed, running towards it. Chris stopped.

"Thank you for guiding us out." Chris said solemnly. "The palace was a maze, if it weren't for you, I would have been stuck there till dawn. But now that we are here, I am afraid I can't take you with me"

Something very close to anger flashed in her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked venomously.

"You are not who you say you are, are you?" Chris asked with a smirk then continued "When I first entered the palace I overheard couple of guards saying that something was stolen and it could be anyone, first that now this...all of that seemed very vague to me. I was looking for a way to enter the dungeons, but fortunately I took a wrong turn and found myself in one of the towers. I came across a girl there, trapped in one of the rooms. Her door was enchanted and wouldn't open. I told her to stay there till I figured something out."

He paused letting his words sink in, then continued "I was on my way to look for someone, or something to help break her out when I ran into you. Now you were also a girl, who said that she's trapped...,I admit I was confused! The story you provided was quite believable too. But you weren't the one I was looking for...for I knew you were lying the second you started telling me how bad Cinderella is. You told me things which were not possible for anyone who didn't live with Cinderella to know. You knew how she behaved at home! That showed you were very close to her. The way you spoke about her, with such intensity and venom in your eyes, the way you talked about the mice and birds...almost suddenly it became clear to me who you were" Chris said.

She didn't say anything, instead continued to shoot daggers at him.

"The things the guards had said suddenly made sense. They said something was stolen, could be anyone. At the time I had thought it meant it could be anyone who had stolen it. But as I met you I figured it out. It was the shoe, which was stolen. The shoe that gave the wearer unrecognizable disguise for some time. Then when you showed me the wand, meaning became clearer, the guards had said 'first that now this'..." Chris smiled. "I believe you first stole the wand...planning to use it to escape...but since you didn't know how it worked you decided to steal the shoe, disguise yourself, take the girls place and escape from the palace. But your plan faltered when I entered, so you convinced me to help you out. Thinking that you can escape with me..."

"Why didn't you say this sooner...why tell me now?" she yelled, unable to control her anger. Chris shrugged "because...I still needed to break the girl out and escape. Like I said...palace was a maze, without you we would never have found our way out. "

"You still haven't saved the girl!" she said.

Chris smirked "When I used the wand to turn the door into curtain...I didn't just turn THAT door into a curtain" he said and almost as if on cue another girl slowly stepped out of the woods from where they had just emerged "Remember me, Drizella?" she asked.

"No!"Cinderella's step-sister yelled.

"She's been following us all along. She escaped when her door turned into a curtain...why do you think I've been looking over my shoulder all the time? I had to make sure she's following" Chris said with chuckle.

"You...you jerk!" Drizella yelled and in one swift movement, she wrapped her hands around Chris's neck. "Run to the car" Chris shouted at the girl as he pushed Drizella back.

Drizella advanced towards him, her mouth a triangle of fury. Chris grabbed her ankle and Drizella's feet went out from under her. He saw her eyes widen and heard her scream as she fell backwards, disappearing beyond the edge of the cliff.

Still unable to believe what he had done, Chris got up. "Oye!" he heard someone shout from below and quickly he backed away, throwing himself into the car.

"That was...that was..." the girl stammered.

"I know" Chris said, still shaken.

"We lost the shoe" she said.

"It's okay...I got this!" Chris said taking out the wand from his jacket pocket just as a loud alarm went off.

"We should go" the two of them said at once.

Nodding, Chris hit the gas pedal and once again, the revolving trapezoid returned, engulfing them completely.

8. wordsmith-

Fiona had never been a good person.

Perhaps she might have been, if she hadn't been born in the middle of a war. If she hadn't known what it was like to kill another before she was 18, or if she'd had a normal childhood. But she hadn't, and so she had grown to enjoy the rush of adrenaline that came with fighting for her life, the heady thrill that came with being executioner.

She supposed that made it easier for her to hear the Fire Lord and Unseelie King's sadistic Games. It wasn't pleasant, to hear how callously they spoke of innocent people dying, but Fiona was used to that. Innocents died all the time in war.

It was only when she heard the Fire Lord say that he would kill her family if she didn't comply that the first flicker of emotion went through her. White hot anger rippled through her, and her hands curled into fists, nails digging into the soft flesh of her palms.

The whip curled around her wrist seemed to vibrate against her skin, as though thirsting for blood, and she could feel the cool blade of her knife at her hip. Her lips curled into a silent snarl; she wanted to jam her seraph blade into the Fire Lord's heart, to watch as his blood streamed from his body for taking away the only person she had left.

But she forced herself to stay still, to listen. Because he had Charlie—she knew it the same way she knew her own name. Her parabatai bond with Charlie felt wrong, muted and dimmed. Fiona could sense his discomfort, twined with hints of pain. Her parabatai needed her, and she had no idea where he was. Until she did, she would have to go along with what the two men in front of her told her to do.

A file was shoved into her hands, and Fiona pushed her anger and need for revenge down. She switched her attention to the papers in time to hear the words, "You will find your first tribute in the location written in your file." She skimmed through it, brow furrowing in confusion. A Greek Colosseum? Before she could ponder the odd location further, she and the rest of the recruited were taken a warehouse.

The warehouse seemed impossibly big, and Fiona wondered if a warlock had somehow enchanted it. As she looked around the reason for warehouse's abnormal size became apparent. Perhaps a dozen strange objects were scattered throughout the room. The most obvious, and biggest, was a starship, "Enterprise" emblazoned on its side. Other, smaller, but no less odd objects included an old blue police box, a bright red locomotive, and a wardrobe. It was with some relief that Fiona noticed the Chevy Impala in the corner. That, at least, was something she was familiar with.

Seeming to see the confusion on the faces around him, the Fire Lord spoke again. "The objects you see here will be your vehicle for the entirety of the games. You will use them to go to your Disney location and rescue your tributes. Choose one now."

For a moment, no one moved and then there was scramble. Fiona moved quickly, climbing into the Impala and thanking the Angel that she had let Charlie teach her such a mundane thing as driving a car. As she slid into the driver's seat, she saw that the keys were already in the ignition.

Convenient. Her hands touched the wheel and her surroundings started to melt. Colors blurred together and there was the brief sensation of her insides being squeezed into a tube. A gasp tried to escape Fiona at the unexpected feeling, but there was no air to breathe. Just as suddenly as it began it ended, and she looked around to see she was no longer in the warehouse.

Instead, grass and old Greek architecture was around her. Fiona blinked, and then reached over to reread the file she'd been given. Disney location. Colosseum. She remembered the Fire Lord saying that she and the others would be sent to their Disney locations to rescue their tributes. Disney. Just like Charlie's movies. A huff of disbelief escaped her as she remembered the odd, and wildly incorrect, movies Charlie had forced her to sit through.

The memory made some of her previous anger rise to the surface, a hum underneath her skin. She touched her parabatai rune, clinging to the connection she could feel to Charlie, muted as it was. I'll find you.

After a moment, Fiona stepped out of the car, file in her pocket and seraph blade in hand. She had a job to do. Barely had she stepped out of the Impala when there was a rush of air and a large white Pegasus was standing before her. Pure white wings flapped impatiently at its sides, tongue clicking rapidly.

Fiona swung her knife at the Pegasus instinctively, but the Pegasus backed away swiftly. A whinny that she swore sounded irritated escaped it, and there was an almost reproachful look in its eyes.

"What do you want?" she demanded, not expecting an answer.

To her surprise, the animal seemed to understand what she was saying. The horse nodded his head towards the Colosseum, stamping his hooves against the ground and sending up puffs of dirt. Fiona's eyes darted to the building again, and then to knife still clutched in her hand. By the Angel, I hope I don't regret this. Then she slowly placed the blade back into its sheath.

"This tribute I'm supposed to find, do you know where to find them?" Another vigorous neigh and Fiona nodded sharply. "Can you lead me to them?" The Pegasus seemed to shake its head, and Fiona exhaled softly. I can't believe I'm talking to a horse. Then again, she supposed that if warlocks existed, it shouldn't be all that surprising a horse that understood humans existed. A soft nose nudged her hand, and Fiona startled, hand twitching towards her knife again. Then she realized that the Pegasus was kneeling on the ground, its head turned to stare at her.

"You want me to climb on your back?" A neigh that seemed like agreement sounded.

Fiona mounted the Pegasus with ease, her hands coming to rest the junction between wing and shoulder. Without giving her a chance to dismount, the Pegasus strode through the entrance, and Fiona had to duck to avoid getting a concussion. The horse seemed to know where he was going, turning corners and walking along corridors with swift hooves.

Before long, Fiona could hear the sounds of someone calling for help, and she urged Pegasus in that direction. Two hallways later and a pair of boys came into sight. Fiona slid off the Pegasus, one of his feathers shedding into her hand. Without thinking she pocketed it before looking at the two children. Both of them were young, chains braceleting their wrists and ankles. Confusion made Fiona pause in the doorway; she was only supposed to rescue one tribute, wasn't she?

She turned towards her companion and was surprised to see the way the horse's eyes narrowed. A squeal of rage burst from the Pegasus' mouth and Fiona watched with wide eyes as he tried to trample the nearest boy. The whip around her arm uncoiled and she wrapped it around the horse's legs.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, shifting so that she stood between the boys and Pegasus. An angry whinny escaped the Pegasus and he stamped a hoof on the ground before pointing it accusingly at the boys behind her. Fiona turned to look at them only to watch as the two boys morphed into blue and purple demon. A smug smile crossed the blue one's face.

"Tricked ya!" he sang gleefully. She struggled to unlace her whip from the Pegasus but the blue demon was quicker; he yanked her ankle with a clawed hand, tugging her to the hard stone floor. Pain burst along her side and a gasp of pain left her mouth.

Anger flooded through Fiona again, and she reached for the seraph blade at her hip. At the same time her fingers touched the handle, the Pegasus was at her side, hooves coming down on the purple demon's body again and again.

"Ambriel." Her blade lit up, bright in the semidarkness.

Fiona ignored the soft, squelching sound in favor of slamming her dagger into the throat of the remaining demon. A split second rush of adrenaline and power dizzied her head, then Fiona yanked her blade out of the demon. She turned to face the Pegasus, who was still trampling the purple demon, even though it was clearly dead.

"Hey!" she snapped. "Come on, we still have to find the tribute." After a long moment the Pegasus finally moved away from the broken body, head held high. They left the room in silence, a somber tension filling the air. The silence remained unbroken until they reached another door, where the Pegasus whinnied loudly.

There was an answering shout from inside, and Fiona pushed the door open. Three figures came into view. Two were obscured in shadow while the third was clearly visible. Blue flames swirled across his head in place of hair, and Fiona recognized him from Charlie's old movies. Hades. Surprisingly, she felt no fear at the sight of him.

"Fiona, so glad you're here. Your tribute has been waiting for you." Hades' voice was smooth and calm, his smile easy.

"Which one is my tribute?" Fiona asked warily, whip ready to lash out.

A chuckle, and then Hades pointed to the figure on the left. "That's your tribute, the other is Hercules. An incentive for Pegasus to bring you here."

Too easy. "Aren't you supposed to stop me?" she asked suspiciously, and Hades' smile widened.

"Oh no, King Sargon and the Fire Lord prefer you intact. No, I'm here to help you make a decision. You see, two of you walked in this room, only two of you can walk out. The others, well...they're stuck in here forever." He laughed before snapping his fingers and disappearing.

Fiona could see the instant the Pegasus understood the meaning behind Hades' words, because he turned on her with the same intensity he had the demon. However, unlike the demon, Fiona was prepared. A single golden line wrapped itself around the Pegasus' legs and she jerked on her whip hard; the sound of bones snapping was loud in the air.

Without bothering to look at the man on the right side of the room, Fiona grabbed the arm of the one on the left, shoving him out of the door. Before she could follow a hand tugged her backwards. She tried escape the vice-like grip only to find herself pinned beneath Hercules.

Adrenaline rushed through Fiona, and for a moment she was back on the battlefield. This was familiar, the smell of blood in the air, her heart beating louder than any other sound. With a quick motion, she brought her knee upwards and jabbed Hercules in the groin before reaching for her seraph blade. He flinched involuntarily and she used the distraction to grab her seraph blade.

She whispered its name before plunging it into the tender flesh of Hercules' ribs. There was a choked off gasp of pain and he collapsed on top of her. Irritation clouded the victory in her chest, and Fiona pushed him to the side with a loud grunt of exertion. She turned to see Pegasus was attempting to hobble towards her, and Fiona tightened the whip still around its legs. There was a high pitched whine and the horse stopped where he was.

On legs unsteady from adrenaline, Fiona stumbled towards the door. She curled a blood spattered hand around the person's arm, tight and unyielding as she dragged them out of the Colosseum and towards the Impala. She'd explain things to them later.