Taking Fantasia : A Disney Fanfiction

Chapter 17: Heigh Ho!

Chapter 17: Heigh Ho!

"Rebuilt? By DAWN!? Are you - "

"—mad as hornets—"

"—mad as horn – ohhhhhhh no! Grumpy!"

Patiently, the Headmaster Mickey waited. Folding his gloved hands as the seven dwarves – namely Doc and Grumpy – bickered, the headmaster surveyed the wreckage.

Fantasia School for the Magically Skewed was nothing more than a north tower bent over a pile of iridescent stone. It was sad – the castle had stood its ground for thousands of centuries, since the reign of the mer when Fantasia was underwater. Luckily, the northern pole of the cliff had withstood the attack, saving the NorthernTower from collapse.

Sadly, Headmaster Mickey gazed over the tip of the NorthernTower. The Wishing Star was dim tonight. Very dim. Evil was near.

A violent sneeze snapped the headmaster back to attention.

"Headmaster!" Doc, the head dwarf, beseeched Headmaster Mickey as one of his brethren whipped his nose apologetically. "Headmaster – this castle is made of sea shells and basalt for heavens to Betsy! This castle is an ancient artifact!"

"—was an ancient artifact—" mumbled Grumpy.

"—and!" Frowned Doc as his dwarves nodded nervously, "The architecture is melicate and deticulous! Ohhh er – delicate and meticulous! And for one –hundred-and-eleven flights up!"

Overwhelmed, Doc took off his spectacles. Wiping the lenses over his smock, the dwarf shook his head doubtfully, "Heavens to Betsy, Headmaster, but you want us to rebuild the whole castle in one night?"

The dwarves murmured and nodded, agreeing with Doc.

Headmaster Mickey considered. As the dwarves conversed, he swished his mousy tail. Then, making eye contact with a Mistress Minnie across the broken stones, the headmaster returned to the seven dubious dwarves.

"So you can't rebuilt it, huh?"

The dwarves were personally offended.

"Of course we can rebuild it!" The dwarves nodded eagerly as Grumpy crossed his arms in front of the headmaster. "It'll just be a pain in the cork and a hay-load of coffee to get the job done right. What do you think we are?" Grumpy nudged Sleepy awake. " – amateurs?"

"We just can't be seen!" Happy sang out merrily, shouldering his pick and shovel. "To avoid any unpleasantries! Can't all of us be wizards and defend ourselves against magic-haters, ya know!"

Bouncing cheerfully on his toes, Happy turned to the dwarves. "So...heigh-ho is it then, Doc?"

"Oh no..." muttered Grumpy as Dopey jumped up and down excitedly. "Not heigh-ho."

"HEIGH HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Doc called richly through a cupped hand.

"HEIGH HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" answered the dwarves in perfect acapella, gathering their tools and trudging single file into the destruction zone. "Heigh ho! Heigh ho! It's off to work we go....!"

"Very crafty, Mr. Headmaster."

Cheeks red as cherries, the headmaster tried not to knot his tail as Mistress Minnie slid her hand in his. "Quite diplomatic."

"They're a good bunch." said Headmaster Mickey, shyly accepting the compliment with a deeper blush. The dwarves had disappeared under the rubble, but their whistling filled the night with a sweet tune. "Hard workers. Castle will be rebuilt by morning. In time for the school bell."

Mistress Minnie's charming features gloomed. "School bell?" she said. Brilliant twinkling colors speckled across her big eyes as Merlin, The Blue Fairy, The Fairy Godmother, Fauna, Flora, and Meriwether rebuilt the elementary school with their magic.

Minnie turned away, remembering the screams of the children as the bomb hit. Several had been bruised. All had been frightened. "But the students. Mickey, how can they go to school tomorrow? How can they learn?"

The headmaster closed his eyes. It was time.

"We're not going to hide anymore Minnie." he whispered. Minnie touched her heart as Mickey squeezed her hand.

"No more hiding. No more waiting. No more secrets." The headmaster opened his eyes. Around him, a magical group of companions were listening, as if summoned by the weight of Headmaster Mickey's decision.

The headmaster looked at each magical member in turn:

Merlin, The Blue Fairy, The Fairy Godmother, Fauna, Flora, Meriwether, Mama Oddie.

Bagheera. Mufasa. Rafiki. The solemn Great Prince of the Forest.

The seven dwarves. Jiminy Cricket.

Three gargoyles that had survived the attack, Victor, Hugo, and Laverne.

A breath of wind from Grandmother Willow.

The Reluctant Dragon.

Goofy. Donald. Pluto. And...Minnie..

All of his old friends. All of his old allies. The magical guardians of Fantasia.

"The darkness has attacked." said Headmaster Mickey. "Evil is waiting, looking for the student that can unlock the Wishing Star....and set the demons free."

Mickey breathed deeply.

"That same student...can keep the demons away."

Minnie's hand trembled.

"Only the students can protect us now."

Mickey raise his eyes. The Wishing Star was faint. Like a candle dying in the wind.

"The students will pick from The Magic Bag of Tricks. Tomorrow."