CHAPTER 2
___________________
FIRST BATTLE




"Hi ever'body!  And welcome to the Ball of the Great Sorcerer!"  Mickey called out to all the guests in the ballroom.  As everyone was cheering for his entrance with his beloved Queen Minnie, he added, "Thank you all for coming!  We're all glad you could make it."  He raised his hand to quiet the cheers right as he and Minnie were given their glasses of punch from Clarabelle.  Mickey raised his glass, "And now, let's all remember why we are celebrating tonight.  Let's us all have a toast to our former leader."
Everybody in the ballroom raised a glass.
Mickey paid tribute, "Here's to him.  To the Great Sorcerer.  Wherever he is."
All of the guests raised their glasses, "To the Great Sorcerer."
Everyone took a sip of their drinks.  All but Marina.  She stood behind all of her friends twiddling her fingers.  All that she could think of was whether or not she closed the garden door all the way.
Minnie smiled, "And now, let the dancing begin!"
The music filled the air and everyone started dancing with their partners.
Donald Duck, the Royal Advisor, finished his punch and right on the last gulp, Daisy Duck grabbed him by the arm.  She dragged him down to the dancing floor saying, "C'mon, Donald!  Let's dance!  I love this song!"
Donald spoke, "But Daishy!  Can't you wait 'til we eat firsht?"
"No way!  I wanna dance!" she hugged her long time boyfriend tightly and started dancing with him a little faster than everyone else around them.
The Captain of the Guard, Goofy Goof, was wearing his over sized tuxedo laughing for all the fun and joy the night was bringing.  He tipped his hat to everyone who waved hello to him.  After all, he was one of the most popular guy in the kingdom next to Mickey.  He walked his way pass all the guests and made his way up to Marina.
He bowed to her, "Hey, there, Marina!  You sure look purty tonight."
"Thank you," she answered quietly.  "Thank you, Goofy."
He noticed that there was something wrong from the look on her face.  He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay, Marina?  You look a little scared."
"Huh?" Marina finally stopped staring into space and looked up at her old friend.  "What did you say?"
"I hate to pry," said Minnie as she came up to her and Goofy, "But I have to agree with Goofy.  You've had the same look on your face since you came back from your walk in the woods this morning.  What happened back there?"
"I. . ." Marina wanted to answer, but nothing was coming out.  She looked into the eyes of Minnie seeing how concerned she was.  She even looked at Mickey and found him looking at her to hear an answer as well.  Marina said, "I. . . well. . . today I saw. . . ."  And she choked on her own words.  
Mickey came up to her, "Marina, whatever it is, you can tell us.  Did something bad happen back in the woods?"
"Well. . . I don't know," she answered.
""Wull, you must know somethin'," said Goofy.  "No one would look like this if nothin' was wrong."
Marina shook her head, "Look, guys, as much as I'd love to tell you. . . I just can't right now.  I think I went through something I can't explain just yet.  Can. . . can I just tell you later?  I'm. . . I'm sure it can wait."  She took a step away from them.
"Well. . ." Mickey scratched his cheek in thought.  ". . . if that's how you feel.  But. . . if you change your mind, we're all here.  Okay?"
"Yes," Marina nodded without facing him.  "Excuse me, please."
While she made her way down to the long table full of food and snacks, Mickey looked at the others.  Minnie and Goofy just shrugged not knowing what could be wrong.
"I've never seen this kind of look on her face," said Minnie.
Goofy asked, "You don't suppose she over did it with her imagination again, do ya?"
"Couldn't be," Mickey answered.  "The last time that happened was with the Boogeyman coming out of her closet.  She's been claiming it since she was five until we finally showed her there's nothing to fear when she was ten.  I think she really saw something this time."
While they continued talking, Pluto followed Marina to the table.  As she was taking a slice of radish and preparing to dip it, he nuzzled against her.  It really caught her attention.  She found him smiling at her with his large puppy eyes.  For that, Marina finally made a half smile and scratched him behind the ears.  It was fine enough for him to see a smile come from her even if it was a small one.
"Maybe it was nothing after all, Plu," she told him.  "It was none of my business anyway.  He was probably just. . . just hunting someone down.  Besides, rumors have been going around that he's become privateer for queen and empire."
Pluto barked once as though he asked, "Who?"
Marina looked around her finding no one listening.  She told him, "You're the one I can tell a secret to first, Plu.  You're a good boy and the best to trust."  She came down to her knees to come face to face with him.  She kept massaging his ears whispering, "When I was playing in the woods today, I saw none other than Captain John Silver himself."
Pluto gasped.
"My thoughts exactly.  At first, I was so surprised to actually see him in person.  More than that, I was excited.  I mean, the story of what happened on the R.L.S. Legacy with Jim Hawkins and him.  But. . . my guess is that he was looking for something. . . or someone and was getting impatient.  When he found me, he had his pistol aiming at me."
Pluto gasped again and gave out a growl at the thought of someone wanting to hurt Marina.
"You mean he had his pistol inside his cyborg arm aiming at you?!" said a high pitched voice.
"Cool!" said a more raspy voice.  "Not that it's cool he was pointing a gun, but a gun in his arm?!  Cool!"
Marina looked at the edge of the table seeing two certain chipmunks in tuxedos.  It was Chip and Dale, the Royal Chamberlains.  
"Chips!  Dale!  How long have you two been listening?"
"Long enough, Marina," Chip answered.  "This is serious."
"Why couldn't you just say it earlier to Mickey?" asked Dale with his mouth full of almonds.  "If that pirate was looking for something and threatened ya, then it must've been serious."
Marina twiddled her fingers, "Well, it. . . it could've been possible that he was looking for something. . . or someone.  At least, that's what it looked like.  If he has become a privateer for Queen and Empire, then. . . perhaps he was tracking down another pirate and lost track of him when he found me."
Pluto barked quietly a few times.
Marina asked him, "You think whatever he was looking for might still be on the loose?"
Pluto nodded.
"Ah, don't worry about that, Marina," Dale smiled.  "No pirate can get in here."
"And if you ask me, from what we've heard," Chip added, "No one can get away from someone like Captain Silver."
"That's just the thing, boys.  What makes me most nervous is that I don't remember if I locked the back door of the gardens."
"Uh, oh," both chipmunks hopped upon her shoulder.  
"We better check it out just in case," said Chip.
Dale patted Marina's shoulder, "We'll come with ya, so you'll know there's nothing to worry about."
Marina stood with Pluto staying close to her.
She scratch his ears once more, "You're coming too, Plu?"
He nodded in response.
"Good boy."



After slipping out from the ballroom, Marina, Pluto, and the chipmunks made their way through the castle.  Pluto led the way when they were getting closer to the garden.  Marina was about to open the glass sliding door to the garden when Pluto stopped in his tracks.
"Plu?"
"What is it, boy?" Dale asked.
Pluto sniffed the air with a suspicious look in his eyes.  When Marina cracked open the door, he started to growl angrily.  
"Pluto?" asked Chip.
Marina opened the door the rest of the way.  In the distance of the garden, she and the chipmunks spotted the back door wide open.
"Uh-oh!" said Dale.
"It's opened!"
Marina took a step to hurry over and close it, but Pluto jumped in front of her still growling at the garden.  His ears perked up and the fur on his back stood.  Marina had never seen him like this.  According to the way Chip and Dale were clinging onto Marina's shoulders trembling in fear, they had never seen Pluto act so serious either.  
"Plu?  Plu, what's wrong?" Marina took a step back.
Before Marina took another step, she and the chipmunks heard something coming from the garden.  It was a strange howl that sounded like a combination of squealing pig and a bit of a human cry.  It started low and started to grow louder.  
"Oh no!" Chip gasped.
"No, no, no!" Dale held on to Marina's shoulder.  "Not this!  Not here!  Not now!"
Marina's heart thumped as it never did before in her life from this sound that was ringing in her ears.  She really wanted to cover her ears, but she was frozen with fear.  She took one more step back when she spotted movement in the garden with Pluto and the chipmunks.  The shadows from the moonlight in all the bushes and topiaries started to move on their own!
"Chip. . . . Dale. . . ." Marina panted.  "What's going on?"
That was when the shadows started to stand up like creatures.  All of them were in the shape of knee high black beasts with blades upon their joints and on top of their heads.  Their razor sharp talons clawed at the ground as their eyes that glowed an eerie red color.  Over a dozen creatures looked at the doorway.  Their mouths opened with a yellow glow coming from their throats revealing their long fangs.  All of them gave out a frightening growl as they were getting ready to pounce.
Marina tried not to move, "Guys. . . what. . . are. . . those?"
Pluto then zipped around and barked at Marina to get her to run!
This caused all of the creatures in the garden to give out loud roars of a cougar!
Marina turned around and ran right as Chip and Dale screamed at the top of their little lungs.
"NIGHTMARES!!!!"
With Pluto chasing close behind her, Marina could hear the sound of the Nightmares rustling through the garden and crashing through the glass doors.  Pluto kept barking in his sprint to tell Marina to keep going and not look back, but Marina couldn't help but glance over her shoulder just once to see the Nightmares chasing them down like a pack of rabid dogs.
Even in a small glance, seeing the glowing red eyes of those monsters, every story of them in the past was coming back to Marina.
This wasn't the first time the Nightmares came to the world of Fantasy Land.  Two centuries before, they nearly ruled every world with their power of fear.  Because of everyone fearing their bad dreams, the Nightmares were born from the power of the fear in all hearts.  There was no stopping of their creation.  Those with hearts of greed, pride, and all evil were the ones capable of controlling the Nightmares.  Consumed with their powers of leadership to them, they too were called Nightmares.  However, by a miraculous power, the Nightmares were downgraded in power.  This was possible with the Great Sorcerer, himself, for he placed a spell upon everyone throughout the Universe to keep them from remembering what they fear in their bad dreams.  Without the fear, the Nightmares cannot increase in power and grow weak, even against a simple gunshot.
Even though the creatures were weak, the Nightmares that ruled with their consumed evil continued on.  Many of these Nightmares were included in several history books, even those like Blackbeard, and the notorious Captain Nathaniel Flint himself!  With people like this around the Etherium and other worlds, fear was always around.  But the fear in dreams remained in the dark.  Therefore, the creatures stayed weak.
And fifty years before Marina was born, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy fought against a number of remaining Nightmares in Fantasy Land.  They served the Great Sorcerer after he granted them powerful weapons to defend his world.  After succeeding, the Great Sorcerer disappeared leaving his world in the hands of his apprentice, Mickey Mouse.  For this, the one who summoned the Nightmares was banished forever and peace was restored to the world ever since.
And now. . . this was happening after all the years.
This was the first time Marina had ever seen Nightmares.  She never imagined that they would frighten her like this.  Pluto barked again to get her to stop looking back.  She obeyed and kept running through the hallway.  
Pluto barked louder as though he was calling ahead.  
Chip and Dale shouted, "King Mickey!!  King Mickey!!!"
Marina and Pluto came into the library that was across the way to the ballroom.  Right as they were halfway through, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy came into the library.
"Mickey!" Marina gasped.
Mickey shouted, "Nightmares!  I knew it!!"
As the Nightmares were in the library, they stopped chasing Marina and Pluto and stood in the middle of the room.  Marina and Pluto came to Mickey's side and turned to face the Nightmares.  
Pluto kept growling at the beasts as Mickey said, "Good boy, Pluto.  I'd know that kind of tone in your bark anytime.  I knew there was trouble."
Chip panted, "Your Majesty!  Should we get all of the guest out to safety?"
"Not now," he answered.  "We can't start a panic.  You and Dale go back to the ballroom and tell Minnie what's happening, and not to worry.  We've got this under control."
Dale saluted, "Yes sir!"
The chipmunks jumped off Marina's shoulders.  She asked, "What about me, Mick?"
"Your years of training can't be put to waste, Marina.  Get out your sword."
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy brought out their hands and concentrated.  Tiny little bits of light and magic gathered around their palms.  Each of them clenched a fist around the magic and the light took form into matter.  Out of thin air, the weapons given to them by the Great Sorcerer many years ago appeared in their grip.  
Mickey's weapon was the Scepter of Justice, a golden scepter that held a large red crystal in the shape of his symbol (which was the silhouette of his head).  Donald's weapon was the Staff of Wisdom, a staff that held a blue crystal sphere and within the crystal were six glowing gems that spun gyroscopically, each gem were in the color of the elements, fire, air, water, earth, lightning, and star.  Goofy's weapon was the Shield of Strength, a large shield bearing Mickey's symbol that was not only for great defense, but was strong enough to crush even the hardest rock and the thickest wall.
When all of the Nightmares saw the weapons they gave out a roar of a cougar again.
Mickey frowned, "Marina!  Now!  Don't let your fear of these guys hold you back!"
"You're ready for this one, Marina," said Goofy.  "I know it."
"Yeah!" Donald smirked.  "Let'sh do thith!"
After seeing the bold look in the faces of her best friends, Marina couldn't disobey her elders.  She held her hands out and took a deep breath.  Her mind cleared from everything else as she focused upon the shape of her weapon.  Like the boys, small bits of light gathered between her hands.  She could feel the hilt of the weapon in her palms, so she clenched the light in her grip.  The magic of the light took form and Marina was holding out her weapon, the Sword of Faith, a strong blade with a rainbow hilt that bored a golden symbol of Mickey on it's end.
"Good," Mickey nodded.  "I know this will be your first fight, Marina, but do your best.  We're all with you!"
Marina nodded back and got ready to fight.  All of the Nightmares were crawling slowly to spread out, but all of them kept their red eyes on their targets.  They were spilt into groups of three.  Each group crawled to four corners hissing like cats getting ready to pounce choosing one target for each of them.  Finally, one Nightmare roared and all of them leaped at the gang.
Mickey simply swung his scepter at the closest Nightmare leaping at him.  The very second the Nightmare was hit, it dissolved as though it was made out of black sand.  Mickey jumped at the other two of the one group with his scepter glowing brightly.  Small bits of light surrounded the red crystal.  He quickly spun around and smashed another Nightmare to dust.  Right as the last of his group was leaping into the air to land on him, Mickey pointed his scepter at the beast and called out an attack.
"COMET!!!"
And a streak of starlight shot out of the crystal, smashing against the Nightmare, causing it to evaporate.
Donald leaped from chair to desk through the library making another group of three purposely chase him.  He ran and jumped around in different directions like a rabbit trying to confuse a fox, only he had the look of a fox on his face and the Nightmares chasing him were getting angrier.  One of them finally jumped ahead and blocked Donald in his path.  Donald almost halted from running, but tricked the Nightmare as he jumped to the side and landed on the step ladder on the book shelves.  He quickly climbed the ladder with the Nightmares going after him thinking that they had him cornered.  As soon as he reached the top, he back flipped off the ladder ending up below the Nightmares.  He aimed his staff at the Nightmares and called out an attack.
"LIGHTNING!!!"
A bolt of lightning zapped out of the staff and electrocuted the three Nightmares on the ladder causing each of them to imploded.
Goofy jumped over his group of Nightmares, but landed clumsily.  He lost his balance and tried to get it back.  He was hopping on one foot trying not to trip over.  The Nightmares turned around and jumped after him again.  Goofy immediately held out his shield and called out his defense.
"BLASTER!!!"
A strong force busted out from the shield like a battering ram.  It punched down two of the Nightmare and destroyed them, but the third was was smart enough to jump out of the way and then pound against Goofy's shield.  That was enough to finally make Goofy fall over.  The Nightmare hustled across the floor and immediately started to climb up the walls like a spider.
"Gawrsh," Goofy sat up.  "Didn't see that comin'."
Pluto stayed with Marina as she was fighting off the last three Nightmares.  While she slashed one in half causing it to dissolve, Pluto pounced on another hard enough that it too dissolved.  After he snorted and growled to make sure no more would mess with him, the last Nightmare of that group leaped at Marina.  She quickly turned around had the beast skewered on her blade.  It didn't die right away though.  It tried holding on and scratched it's way toward her.  She glared at the monster and called out a defensive attack.
"TORCH!!!"
And the blade of her sword lit up in flames burning the Nightmare inside and out.  Within seconds it dissolved away to dust.  
With a smirk, Marina simply blew the flame out of the blade like a candle.  She chuckled, "Heh, that was easier than I thought.  And to think I was scared at first."
"One more left, Marina!!" Goofy pointed at the last Nightmare that was now climbing on the ceiling.  
She looked up only in time to see it leap onto the chain of one of the library's large chandeliers.  As the chandelier of gold and glass was swinging towards Marina's direction, the Nightmare chomped its fangs into the chain causing it to snap!  The whole then was falling toward her!
"MARINA!!!" the boy screamed.
Goofy was about to bring up a barrier around her, but before he could, someone grabbed Marina, sweeping her off her feet, and getting her out of the way in the nick of time.  The whole chandelier crashed and shattered to pieces where Marina stood.
The last Nightmare roared of its failure, but Pluto quickly pounced at it.  He grabbed the Nightmare in his jaws and threw it against the wall.  The monster dissolved leaving everyone looking at Marina for her well being.
She opened her eyes not knowing what had just happened.  After feeling that she was in someone's arms, she nearly expected it to be Goofy since he was the only one of her friends who was able to with his strength.  But there was something different.  The chest she was up against was more barreled and the arm under her legs was much more bulkier.  Then looked at her shoulder to find the other hand hold up her back.  When she found it to be a metallic hand, her heart jumped to her throat.
She looked at her rescuer and was now as frozen as she was earlier that day when she found that it was a very familiar face.  It was none other than Captain John Silver once again!
"You!" she gasped.
With a broad smile and twinkle in his good eye, he said, "Good to see ye again, Lassie."