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The End?

“Mum! Dad!” Merida called as she ran through the halls of the castle.

She had to be sure this was all real. Everything that happened to her couldn’t have been a dream. It just couldn’t have been. She worried if things had indeed changed as she rushed through the castle, still calling out for her parents as she passed by the servants who gave her confused looks.

Eventually Merida came to the main hall of the castle where, sure enough, her father and mother, King Fergus and Queen Elinor, were sitting and discussing something when their daughter had come running up to them.

Seeing the look on her face the queen asked “Merida? What’s the matter? You look of fright about you.”

King Fergus, however, commented with “You’re up a bit late. Aren’t you, darling? What? Staying up and practicing with your sword still?”

Merida ignored what they said as she asked “Are you both alright? I mean, you’re both still yourselves, aren’t you?”

Both looked ever so confused before Elinor said “What do you mean, dear? We are ourselves. Are you?”

“You’re sounding a wee bit on the bonky side, Merida.” Fergus added. “Are you feeling alright?”

Merida still wasn’t sure before asking “I’m fine I just…I need you to tell me. We’re still the rulers of DunBroch, aren’t we?” When they nodded she asked “And I’m not married, am I?”

“Not yet, you aren’t.” Fergus answered. “But I thought you still wanted to wait. Especially after that whole….well you know.”

When Merida asked what he meant Elinor answered “You know, Merida. The little fiasco with the…me being turned into a big, furry bear?”

Merida, hearing all of this, sighed with relief. Nothing had changed which was a good sign. But with this came the idea that what’d she’d gone through was likely a dream and, to be honest with herself, she was starting to think it was. Everything she’d seen and done seemed too much to just have been something to forget.

“Merida, are you alright?” Elinor asked as Merida sat down on the steps in front of the thrones where they were sitting. She felt her daughter’s head and looked in her eyes before asking “You look sort of flustered. Are you getting ill again?”

She shook her head and sighed as she explained “No, I’m fine. Okay? It’s just….I had this dream. But it felt so real.”

Fergus gave a big “Ah.” Before saying “I’ve had a few of those myself. A sea full of nothing but ale ahead of me on a boat filled with such lovely beauties.” He suddenly looked and saw Elinor give him a cross look before he recovered with “A-A-And they all looked just like your mother!” and then chuckled awkwardly.

Despite this Merida continued with “It was just so amazing. I was in a whole other world. And it was full of odd creatures and people. Like something out of a fairy tale. As we were fighting this evil wizard of whatever he was. But….it just seemed too real to be a dream.”

As she thought on it Merida was actually a little upset by the idea that everything was a dream. Not just because of the experience but the friends she’d made. All of them from King Mickey to even the one she’d promised to see again, Lilo. She even held up her pinky as the nostalgic feeling of her making the promise with her new friend came to the princess. At that point she started to regret waking up.

Elinor, seeing how sad Merida was, stroked her daughter’s hair and said “Sometimes the best dreams are the ones we have over and over again, Merida.” The princess looked up and gave a little smile before the queen asked “What sort of odd creatures and things did you see?”

She shrugged as she said “So many things. A woman who could create ice. Ghosts with no heads. And talking animals like dogs and ducks and….”

Merida had looked over to an envelope Fergus was holding in his hand when she began to trail off. What had caught her eye was that symbol on the envelope itself: the shape of a round mouse head with matching ears. She gasped a little, her heart jumping into her throat, before she stood and walked over to take a closer look.

When she took it from his hand and looked closer she asked “Dad? Where did you get this?”

A little confused Fergus answered “Well it just came actually. From the outer lands. Apparently we’ve been invited to another big party for all the united leaders of the world. Personally I think it’s all nothing but shirt-stuffing and fancy dancing that goes on there.”
She turned and asked “What rulers? Who’s the one who sent this note?”

Fergus looked even more confused as he answered “Well the high Queen Minnie herself, of course. Who else would you expect?”

Merida, still shocked by this, said “But….but that can’t be right. I mean how do you know Queen Minnie?”

“Everyone does, Merida.” Elinor answered while walking up to her. “She’s been high queen for some time now.”

“But I saw her in my dream!” Merida tried to explain. “Or whatever it was. She was from that other world!”

Fergus laughed at this and said “So you were dreaming about the outer land then? I don’t blame you, darling. I remember how excited you were the first time we visited. Oh, so adorable and bouncy at that age.”

“What?” she asked, sounding down right lost. “But I’ve never been to these outer lands.”

“Of course you have.” Elinor said, turning her around to face her. “You went when you were just a wee thing. And another time just before the boys were born.”

With everything she heard Merida found it so overwhelming she almost fainted. She felt like she had woken from a dream into another. But she wasn’t sure how much had been changed. She rushed out of the room, making for the library as her parents called for her and asked what was wrong.

After reaching the library Merida pulled out whatever books she could to try and figure out what had been changed and what had been altered because of the spell cast by the Master of worlds. She found books with maps and books with records of the rulers of the outer lands as they were called. From large books to small books she had them in a pile that she dropped on the nearest table before searching through.

Her worst fears came to light as she saw them: the names of places and people she knew from the other worlds. Kings and Queens such as Belle and Adam, Philip and Aurora, and even the proclaimed king of all the animals, Simba. The names of lands like Arendella, Corona, Prydain and places like Castle Disney and Agrabah. It was real. All of it. And now it was within the same realm as Merida.

Leaning back in her chair from the weight of it all Merida shook her head as she said to herself “He did it. He…..brought everything together.” She then perked up and wondered “How much did he change?”

Before she could look her parents came into the library, Fergus saying “Merida! Just what the blazes has gotten into you, girl?”

Merida needed a moment before asking “You mentioned Queen Minnie. But what about King Mickey?”

To her shock the princess heard as her mother asked “Who’s that? I don’t think there’s any king by that name. And not to Queen Minnie either. She’d been the single ruler for the longest time.”

Merida covered her mouth as she slumped in her chair. Not only had the worlds changed but history as well. And it seemed even her own to some extent, yet she couldn’t remember anything but her own, the one before everything changed. But she wondered how she was still able to remember when everyone else had forgotten or didn’t know anything at all.

Elinor kneeled next to her daughter and asked “Merida, please, tell us what’s the matter? You’re acting so odd, like you’ve seen vexed or something.”

“None of its right.” She said to herself in a stunned tone. “None of it. It’s….all wrong.”

Just as Elinor asked what she’d meant they all looked when they heard the sound of something crashing. They could see the bookshelves falling in the library like dominos. Everything became a greater mess with each one that fell. When the last had fallen they looked to the culprits standing at the end behind it all: Merida’s three little triplet brothers Harris, Hubert and Hamish.

The three giggled and ran off just as Fergus shouted an angered “BOYS!”

As she watched them run off Elinor groaned before saying “They get it from your side of the family, Fergus.”

He retorted with “Oh don’t go and start that again. Just because of my uncle Brandon. I’d say it’s just because Maudie’s away for her family’s big season celebration. What they need is a good replacement nanny for a while.”

When Merida heard that word “nanny” she gasped when she remembered. The medicine she’d taken from Mary Poppins. That was how she could still remember. Mary Poppins predicted this would happen and needed Merida to still keep her memories intact. But why? As soon as she asked herself that Merida remembered what Mary Poppins had ordered about finding her in this new world.

Jumping up from her seat Merida quickly said “Dad’s right! We need a nanny!”

Both gave a confused “What?” before Elinor said “But you hated always having nannies, Merida. Ever since you were just a girl. Besides you’re older now. And you keep saying how you can take care of yourself.”

“Not for me, mum. For the boys.” She tried explaining. “I mean come on. We could use someone to pick up the pieces after Maudie taking her little holiday. And maybe this one will be able to keep the boys inline too.”

Fergus scratched his head and asked “You sure about this, Merida? You actually want a new nanny around the place?”

“More than anything.” She said in an almost desperate tone. She turned back to her mother, giving as serious and as truthful of a look as she could when she said “Please, mum. Trust me. It’ll work out if you just try. Please?”

Elinor, looking between Merida and Fergus, sighed before saying “Alright then. But if she starts giving you orders, don’t think I’ll be there to pull you out of your own fires you start causing.” Merida sighed with great relief at this before Elinor said “I think I can send a notice to one of the ladies in our land who…”

Merida stopped her and said “No need, mum! I know just the person!” When her mother asked Merida gave the half-answer of “Well….I remember one of my friends talking about her when she was little. Said there was no better nanny you could ever ask for then Mary Poppins.”

“Mary what-now?” Fergus asked. “Sounds foreign. She’s not one of them stuffy, stuck-up types, is she?”

Despite this Elinor nodded and said “If you think she’s the right choice, Merida, then I’ll send word at once.”

Merida nodded and sighed again before asking “And when’s this party for Queen Minnie?”

“Eh, not for a week at least.” Fergus answered. “Though I hope this ‘Margi Poopins’ don’t turn my boys into a bunch of jackanapes by then.”

With things starting to go into motion Merida sighed with more relief before realizing there was more she needed to do. She rushed out of the library and made back for her room where, once she’d reached it, looked for a paper and quill to write with.

Merida started writing down everything she could remember about the original history of the worlds in the event her own memories would start to fade. She worried if the effects of the medicine Mary Poppins gave her would be lasting enough until all of this was fixed, otherwise she would be as useless as the rest were without the proper memories. One thing after another she wrote down into a long list until, after almost an hour of writing, she’d finished.

The list read as followed with names and notes:
Queen Minnie. King Mickey. Mater Yen Sid (A ghost?). Donald. Goofy. Max. Daisy. Scrooge.
Elsa, Anna and Kristoff. And Sven. Olaf?
Lilo. Stitch?
Mary Poppins (Has to remember the medicine she gave you)
Pete and family (all bad guys)?
The Spring Sprite
The Headless Horseman.
Spell to bring all the worlds together because of the Master of worlds (bad guy!)
REAL master of worlds?
Mulan. Don’t know who but know the name
All the heroes defeated the villains before.
Eugene the prince. Maximus. Pascal. Rapunzel?
Cinderella (girl with glass shoes and evil stepsisters)
Blue Fairy? Other fairies? (Tinkerbell, Fairy Godmother, Aunt Fairies)
The magic genie and Aladdin (prince and princess Jasmine)
Adam the beast and Belle the beauty
The frog prince and princess couple
Bald Mountain. Haunted Mansion. (Evil places)
Peter Pan and the lost boys
Simba, king of the beasts
Mermaid princess Ariel, prince?
Hercules, super strong hero
Young knight Taran, princess?
Princess Snow White and the seven short men
And finally one big note saying “You are princes Merida! And it’s all up to you now!”

When she’d finished Merida took a moment to relax, knowing that she did the best she could to remember every detail possible. This was a good start for now but she did worry what would happen once Mary Poppins had arrived and both could try to figure things out.

Would she remember? If she didn’t was there anyway Merida could remind her? What about the others she’d met? If Mickey wasn’t a king then who else’s history could’ve been altered by the worlds being pulled together?

From her window she saw as riders went out to spread word of her royal family looking to hire Mary Poppins. Even with so many sending messages Merida knew it wouldn’t be fasted enough, not for the strange woman like Mary Poppins would likely didn’t have any real address. Even in this reality she figured that woman was still as odd as she was before.

That’s when Merida remembered something she heard in the story about Mary Poppins, told to her by Minnie at one point while they’d waited for the others to return from saving Rapunzel. She remembered how, in the story, the family that hired her had torn a letter up before it went into the sky. Merida soon grabbed another piece of paper and began writing down what she knew would be the best message possible.

Later in the night the princess made her way to one of the taller towers of the castle on what was thankfully a windy time. She made sure no one was around as she looked out towards the dark horizon. Holding the paper close to her chest Merida closed her eyes and prayed.
“Please. Please! Find this. Please.”

After that she slowly let the paper go and allowed it to be carried off by the wind. For the whole time she could still see it Merida watched and waited until, after a few moments, it was gone from sight.

********************

The next morning Merida found herself out in the courtyard using the firing range, each target with a crudely drawn picture of the villains she’d fought with before and knew she would come across again.

One had Pete’s face while another was Peg’s. Another had a drawing of the Headless Horseman with a firing pumpkin in his hand. And finally there was a picture of the Master of Worlds, one which had the most arrows shot into it. The entire time Merida kept repeating everything she was trying to remember in her head before, after each round of firing arrows, she would look to her list and confirm she still remembered.

This was all a means of passing the time while she awaited Mary Poppins to arrive. She kept checking nearly every hour only to hear or see nothing. She’d stood at the gate in the morning before breakfast waiting for her to arrive from the road. Other times she just expected her to appear in a puff of smoke or just as she blinked her eye, yet half the day went by and nothing.

It wasn’t long until the rest of Merida’s family found their way out into the courtyard. While Elinor went to speak with her daughter Fergus was trying to handle the three rambunctious triplets.

“You seem to be pretty active today.” Elinor said as she approached Merida. “I heard one of the servants tell me how you were up wandering around the castle all day.”

“Just trying to pass the time.” Merida answered as she readied to fire more arrows. “Really looking forward to the big party in the outlands in a week. That’s all.”

Elinor smiled at this as she said “I’m sure we’ll all enjoy it. Especially your brothers. This will be their first time after all.” She then looked towards the drawings on Merida’s targets before commenting “Oh. Trying to kill the things for your nightmares?”

Merida only gave a stern “Something like that.” Showing how angry she was at the people those targets were based on.

Elinor took a close look at them before saying “Quite a vicious looking rider that one is. And….oh! I see you had a dream about the pirate king too.”

Merida stopped and realized she was looking at Pete’s picture before asking “Pirate king?”

Hearing that Elinor asked “What? That’s not Pete the Pirate King? Looks a lot like him. You even have his wife, the queen, too.”

Yet another revelation was made that Merida was a bit surprised at. Now Pete and his wife, possibly the rest of his family, were made the rulers of the pirates. And if her mother knew about them Merida figured they must’ve been a big enough threat. She felt a little sick from this, knowing that Pete managed to come out on top after the worlds changed.

Putting her arrows aside Merida walked off and while saying “I think I need to get some air. I’m…going off for a ride.”

Elinor only looked concerned as she watched Merida walk off. Eventually she would hop on her horse, Angus, and ride off from the castle to travel through the rest of the DunBroch lands. As she rode on she was glad at least her land hadn’t changed, but she still worried if the others had along with the people living in them.

Stopping at the cliffs overlooking the ocean Merida said “Everything’s going crazy, Angus. I feel like reality taking a holiday and I’m losing my mind!” The horse huffed a little before she petted his mane and said “At least you’re all still the same. But I need to fix this and fast. I need to find the Master, and whoever’s behind him. Maybe then I can figure out how to fix all this. But right now what I really need is…”

Suddenly Angus, seeing something, began to fidget which made Merida question what it was. She realized Angus was looking up which made her to so too before her mouth dropped open. She could see what she was waiting for since the previous night, and not in the manner she’d expected her to arrive. Mary Poppins was floating down from the sky towards the castle of DunBroch, her umbrella almost like a parachute as she made her way.

After watching for a few moments as Mary Poppins flew closer Merida shook her head and commented “Just when you think you’ve seen everything.” Before clicking for Angus to ride back as fast as they could.

When she finally landed, right in front of the castle gates, Mary Poppins closed her umbrella and knocked on the gate which caught the attention of the guard snoozing nearby.

When she woke him she nodded her head to him before saying “I believe I’ve been expected. I’m the new nanny.”

The guard shrugged before ordering the gates to be opened. Once they did Mary Poppins thanked him before walking in. Another guard joined the first as they watched Mary Poppins casually make her way into the castle towards wherever the king and queen where. They shrugged at this before ordering the gate to be closed.

“WAIT!” Merida called before they did, they seeing as she rode in as fast as she could on her horse just before the gates closed on her. Once inside she hoped off her horse and asked “Where did that nanny go?”

********************

Mary Poppins stood in front of the thrones where Fergus and Elinor sat in the main hall as she spoke with them about her qualifications.

After she’d finished explaining her rules and such she said “I do hope your majesties find these terms agreeable.”

Elinor merely said “Well it all seems fair enough to me. I’m just a little surprised it such a low price.”

Mary Poppins smiled at this before saying “Just because I’m dealing with royalty does not mean I will treat the boys any less than I would a commoner’s child. Without any crowns or castle we would all be the same.”

Elinor smiled at this before leaning over to Fergus and saying “I really like her. I think she’s perfect.”

Fergus only huffed, as he didn’t seem as enthusiastic about it, before asking “Any chance we could see some references from you, Miss Poppins?”

“Oh please. I prefer Mary Poppins, if you don’t mind.” She corrected him before answering “And I do apologize, your majesty, but I make it a point never to give my references. An old fashioned idea to my mind.”

Fergus gave a skeptical look to Elinor who waved it before she said “I think we have it on good enough word. Especially after you already tended to one of the children in our land.”
Mary Poppins gave a curious look before saying “I do beg your pardon, Queen Elinor, but I’m afraid I haven’t been to your lands until this very day.”

Both the king and queen looked oddly at each other before the former said “But we heard you did. That’s how we found out about you in the first place?”

“Who told you that?” she asked before she and the others heard the doors swing open.

Merida finally reached the room and could see Mary Poppins for herself. Her eyes lit up at the sight of a former friend while Mary Poppins only looked normally at her. Quickly she rushed up to her side to take a closer look.

“Oh, Merida.” Elinor said. “There you are. We were just about to call for you. This is…”

“I know, mum.” Merida said before looking back to Mary Poppins. “It’s nice to see you again, ma’am.”

Mary Poppins gave an awkward smile before saying “I’m afraid we haven’t met before, princess. Though I may be so kind in saying it’s very nice to meet you as well.” She then gave a respectful bow to her before saying “Interesting how you do seem to know me, given what seen in your note.”

“Note?” Fergus asked. “What note? We only send word out yesterday. Was sort of wondering how you showed up so fast actually.”

Before Mary Poppins could answer Merida cut everyone off and said “How about I show Mary Poppins her room. Help her get acquainted with the place, you know?” She gestured for the nanny to follow before saying “Maybe even take her to meet the boys.”

She made Mary Poppins hurry out of the room before she could say anymore while her parents watched oddly. Once they were clear Merida rushed away, moving Mary Poppins along with her so they were out of earshot as well.

Fergus shook his head at this before saying “Not two minutes and already she’s driving out kids bonkers.”

Once Merida had brought Mary Poppins up to her room the nanny asked “Princess, I must insist on knowing what the matter with you is.”

Merida closed her door and asked “I did what you said. I found you, remember?”

Mary Poppins only answered with “I have no idea of what you’re speaking of, I’m afraid. All I know is that the letter you had sent to me sounded urgent.” Sure enough she pulled out the paper that Merida had sent into the air the night before as she unfolded it and read “‘Mary Poppins, I need your help. I hope you will understand and come at once or else the entire world could be in jeopardy. When you arrive you will be expected to act as nanny to my three little brothers. Please come as soon as possible. Signed Merida.’” When she finished she looked to her and said “Well I have arrived, but I believed it was a child’s exaggerated tale of her brother’s overacting. I see that may not be the case.”

Merida only had a more defeated look on her face as she asked “You mean….you don’t remember?” The look Mary Poppins gave confirmed this before Merida groaned and said “I’d thought maybe you would since you were there. Then maybe the others would too. But I guess not.” She paced around a bit before looking back to her and explaining “Look, we’ve met before. I know this is all going to sound crazy but you have to believe me. Please?”

Mary Poppins gave a somewhat skeptical look before, after a moment, simply sat down at the nearest chair and said “Please, elaborate, your highness.”

For the next half-hour Merida told her story as best she could. She started with her first attack by the Headless Horseman and from there told what she remembered still, even consorting with the list she’d made earlier to make sure she had all the details. When it came to the point where Mary Poppins arrived Merida sounded more desperate to try and make her believe what she was saying, especially since her memories were altered like everyone else’s.

When she came to the end of her story Merida said “And that’s when I sent the letter to you. And that’s how we both ended up here.”

Merida took a moment to regain herself after having said so much in so little time. She breathed and sat on the edge of her bed before waiting to hear what Mary Poppins would say.
Mary Poppins had pondered for a moment before asking “You said I gave you medicine so that you would remember. Do you happen to know what it was?”

Thinking for a moment Merida snapped her fingers and said “Forget-Me-Not Juice. That’s what it was.”

“And you said that I told you to find me. Do you know why?”

Merida shook her head before saying “I thought because you would still remember. But now I don’t know.” She groaned again before putting her head in her hands and saying “Who am I kidding? This all sounds so crazy, you probably don’t believe me.”

Mary Poppins stood and stated “On the contrary, princess Merida. I think you’re telling the truth.”

She perked up, asking “You do?”

“Oh yes. That is, I believe that you believe it. And you seem so confident and sure about it I cannot say that this is all just some elaborate story. Then again, if it were, you seem to be going through an awful lot of trouble just to trick me.”

Merida stood, shaking her head, and pleaded “No! I’m not lying. I swear!”

“In that case I shall take your word.” Merida sighed with relief at this as Mary Poppins continued “If the worlds are combined into one and everything’s changed as you said, then we must do whatever we can to put it all back as it was. So, with that said, have you any idea where we would start?”

Upon hearing that Merida gave an awkward look before saying “Well…..actually no. But I do know where we can start.” She showed the invitation to the royal party that had been sent by Queen Minnie before saying “Hopefully we can get help there. Maybe, just maybe, somebody else will remember and we can get their help. If not maybe we can try jogging their memories. Maybe if you have any more of that medicine.”

“I do, but how do we know it would work the same way?” Mary Poppins asked. “They may only know of the memories of this world and not their originals, as you do. Meaning the medicine will only make their tongues sour for a moment, if anything.”

Merida rubbed her forehead when she realized Mary Poppins was right, but then recovered with “In any case we have to try.”

“And if we do, what then?’ Mary Poppins asked. “If we do manage to find enough allies and make them remember, where would we go from there?”

Merida had actually not thought of that. After realizing this she began to pace as she thought, Mary Poppins merely watching from her seat. Eventually Merida found her list of things to remember before consulting it. She looked through before she found the closest thing to an answer she could get.

Turning back to Mary Poppins she said “This all happened because of the Master of Worlds. This was his spell after all. But from what I remember he wasn’t the one behind it. I think the first thing we’ll need to do to figuring out how to change everything is at the source.” She looked towards her window as the sun was still rising over the horizon, looking out to the rest of this new fused One World, as she finished with “We need to find who the REAL Master of Worlds is.”

********************

In his lair the Master of Worlds, or rather the fake Master, had come to his true master’s quarters.

He seemed nervous while trying to hide it with a stern pose as he walked into the room. There was nothing but a chair where his Master sat with a window looking out to the world. It was dark but the fake Master could tell where everything is, including his Master as he sat in his chair.

“Is it time yet, my lord?” the fake master asked.

“Soon enough.” The true master answered. “Soon enough.” They held up their hand as magic seemed to surge through it before saying “It’s growing ever so steady. But once it reaches it’s finished we can begin.”

The fake master looked over to something hanging on the wall nearby and asked “And what of the mirror?”

The real master looked to the Magic Mirror that hung on the wall to their right before saying “It is starting to remember. Not to worry. No one else will. And they never will.” They chuckled for a moment before saying “You can go now.”

The fake Master bowed before walking out of their presence. A moment later the real Master of Worlds stood from their chair and walked over to the mirror, rubbing the glass before the image of the slave trapped inside was clear. However instead of the odd, ghostly face that had usually occupied it, there was another face in place of it.

Now trapped in the mirror was the ghostly seer Madame Leota herself. She seemed in pain as she gave out little screams. Whatever had been done to her in this new One World was causing her pain, yet the Master only smiled at this.

As their eyes flashed red they said “Time for a new story to be written. My story!”

To Be Continued…