Chapter Four: Keep On Believing

Latula had no idea what happened. The last thing she had remembered was dropping down into a new world when something hit her side. And now she was here, pacing back and forth in a cage.

"What is going on?" she muttered to herself. She crossed her arms before grabbing the bars on the cage. "Somebody tell me how I got so SMALL!" Her voice barely carried an echo. She sighed, leaning against the cage. Latula jumped up when a large door nearby open. In walked a young woman.

She had beautiful blonde hair, and eyes like a blue flower. Despite her beauty however, she was dressed like a servant. She dressed in a dark brown bodice with aquamarine long sleeves, and a brown, knee-length skirt. Her hair was softly tied back into a low ponytail with an aqua ribbon. She also wore a white apron and a pair of black ballet flats.

The woman walked over to the cage Latula was trapped in and picked it up. The troll lost her footing, falling on her hands and knees as she was jostled. Latula looked up as the woman opened the door to the cage

"Don't be afraid," she said kindly. "Oh! How interesting… I've never seen a mouse like you before." Latula looked at the woman questionably.

"Mouse?" she muttered to herself. "What the heck is a mouse…?"

"Jaq, you better explain things to her." The woman placed the cage down gently as to not let Latula fall over this time. The woman opened the door to the trap, and a little furry creature in an orange jacket entered. He seemed to fit Latula's new height.

"Now, now, now. Look, little guy. Rake it easy," said Jaq, "Not-a worry about. We like-a you. Cinderelly like-a you, too. She's nice, very nice-nice. Come on now. Zugk-zugk." Latula nodded slowly. It was a bit hard to understand what he was saying, but it was as easy to translate his words as it was to understand Mituna's lisp. Latula followed the creature out of the trap. "Name-a Jaq."

"I'm Latula," said Latula

"Zugk-zugk, 'Tula. Need-a somethudda? Ask-a Jaq!" Latula gave him a short nod. Before any words could be exchanged, a shrill voice rang out from somewhere else.

"Cinderella!" cried the voice. The woman, Cinderella, seemed discontent.

"Oh well, time to get to my chores," she said sadly. "I'll see you in a little while, Latula." Cinderella stood up and left the the room. Latula rubbed the back of her neck as she watched her go.

"Wow, I guess she's got her hands full…" said Latula.

"Yep, work, work, work!" Jaq added. "Stepmuddy keeps Cinderelly busy all day!"

"She didn't seem to mind it," Latula noted with a simple shrug.

"No, nots-a Cinderelly. She work-a hard. She got a dream-a big dream. Dream gonna come true!" said the mouse. Latula smiled a bit as a few words echoed in her mind.

"That sounds like somebody I know."

"Being a Keyblade Master ith all I've dreamed about!"

As the faint memory rushed back into her mind, Latula remembered why she had come here in the first place. She turned to Jaq.

Hey, maybe you can help me find him," she said. "His name's Mituna. You know him?"

"Eh… no no. I never faw 'Tuna before," Jaq replied. Latula's face was coated with disappointment.

"Oh, well. It was worth a shot."

"Come on. Follow me. Gotta see house." Jaq scrambled off near a hole in the wall.

"H-hey!" Latula shouted before running after him. "Wait for me!" They climbed through the hole and into the wall.

Latula followed Jaq through the lining in the walls until they made it up to the top of the house and to a small, dirty bedroom.

They climbed up onto a windowsill, looking out the small window at a castle in the distance.
"What's that?" she asked, leaning up against the side of the window.

"That's-a palace- King's palace," said Jaq. "Gonna be a big ball tonight." Latula hummed to herself. She was only on the cusp of noble blood back home. Only her mother had been invited to festivities like that, and it has been on a rare occasion. She would have to ask Aranea about it later, as she was higher on the hemospectrum.

"Is Cinderella going?" asked Latula.

"I don't know…" As if on cue, Cinderella entered the bedroom, drawing Latula's attention to her.

"Hello, you two. Have you become friends already?" Cinderella asked the pair on the windowsill. Jaq and Latula nodded their heads in response. "Oh that's wonderful." Cinderella moved a dress mannequin in the corner of the room as she began to work on the dress that clothed the mannequin.

"You sure look happy, Cinderella," Latula said with a bit of a smirk.

"Mm, I'm going to the royal ball tonight," Cinderella told her. She sighed. "I guess dreams really do come true."

"Cinderella!" a voice cried out from the lower levels of the house. Cinderella took a glance at the door.

"My dress will have to wait," she said sadly.

"Cinderella!" called another voice.

"Cinderella!" shouted a third.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" Cinderella called to them as she left the room.

"Poor Cinderelly…" said Jaq with disappointment. "She's not go to the ball." Latula looked over at her new friend with a look of curiosity.

"Why not?" she asked.

"You see. They fix her. Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done." There was a small pause. "Say, got an idee! 'Tula, help-a Jaq?" Latula raised her brow.

"With what? What are we doing?"

"Fixing Cinderelly's dress for the ball." Latula looked over at the hanging dress as she straightened up. She have Jaq a small nod.

"But what do we need to get to finish the dress?"

"Rook around the house. Lots of pretty pretty things."

"Okay, let's do it," said Latula with determination. "I'll go find whatever we need. Jaq, you get things set up here."

"Zugk-zugk!" answered Jaq. Latula hopped off the window sill. "Tula! Carefee Roos-a-fee!"

"'Roos-a-fee'?" repeated Latula, mimicking Jaq's unusual way of talking.

"Roos-a-fee a cat cat! He mean...sneaky… jump at you, bite at you!"

"Gotcha… Wait. What's a cat…?"

Latula searches throughout the house, climbing through the crooks and crannies in the walls. The first few components of Cinderella's dress that she will found pink fabric from off the floor, a white sash off a pile of books and white lace laid out on the sofa among other things.

After collecting everything Latula returned to Cinderella's room. She and Jaq looked up at the dress that had been created from the materials.

"Still needs a pretty pretty pearl," said Jaq. Latula gave him a nod.

"Leave it to me!" she said. She and Jaq scrambled back into the walls of the house.

Latula crept into the room in which she had found the previous materials for the dress. Jaq was right behind her. Latula peered out from the table leg she hid behind. A pearl laid perfectly in front of a fat, large creature. Inside her mind, Latula guessed that this was the so-called cat that Jaq had mentioned.

"Okay," said Latula "There it is." She quietly tiptoed out from her hiding place and over to the pearl. She waved her hand in front of Lucifer to make sure he's asleep. Once this was confirmed, Latula picked up the pearl, and turned to tiptoe away. But, just as she did, Lucifer opened his eyes and sat up. He raised his paw with his claws out and prepared to swat at Latula.

"Rook out! Roos-a-fee!" cried out Jaq. Latula ducked away as a ball of yarn hits Lucifer on the head. Jaq threw it from the top of a table. "Flurry! Flurry, 'Tula!"

Latula took off running as Jaq threw more balls of yarn at Lucifer. But, Lucifer ran around dodging them and then rammed the table Jaq was, on knocking him into the floor.

Lucifer went to attack Jaq. Latula kicked the pearl over to the mousehole and summoned her Keyblade. She ran over and blocks it.

"Time to play, meow-beast!" she hissed at the cat.

"'Tula!" shouted Jaq. Latula looked behind her.

"Take the pearl, Jaq. I'll hold him off. Run!"

"Zugk-zugk!" Jaq grabbed the pearl and escaped, leaving Latula to take on Lucifer.

Lucifer sauntered around the room,making himself a slow target. Latula pelted him easily with her elemental magic. She smirked as she backed him into a corner. This was far easier than it had seemed.

That's when Lucifer took a leap at the troll. He missed, but the force of his landing shook the floor, and Latula with it. She lost her balance and fell to the floor. She seized her Keyblade as she stood back up.

"Bad kitty," she shouted. The cat leapt at her again. Latula sprang out of the way. She dashed close, getting in a few blunt hits with her Keyblade. An idea popped into her head.

Latula launched herself onto the cat. She landed on his back, her fingers wrapping around his fur as Lucifer attempted to throw her off.

"Whoa! If I get off, you have to knock it off!" It was then that Latula lost her grip and was flung into the wall. "Or throw me off…"

Latula groaned as she got up. Her eyes widened as Lucifer came charging after her. She rolled out of the wall just in time for him to slam into the wall. Latula booked it to the hole in the wall. It only took a few seconds for Lucifer t get back on his feet.

With one last burst of speed, Latula dived into the hole, sliding in to safety. She sighed as she stood up, dusting off her clothes. She looked back.

"Not so high and mighty now, are ya?" she snickered. Lucifer swiped his paw into the hole. It missed Latula by less than half an inch. She jumped and ran back in the direction of Cinderella's room.

"Oh, that's a big 'thank you,'" said Jaq. Latula had met back up with him not too long after she escaped Lucifer. They stood side by side, rolling the pearl to its destination.

"No thanks needed. You saved me before, so I saved you," said Latula. "That's what friends do, right?"

"Zugk-zugk! 'Tula and Jaq good friends!"

"Now, let's get that dress finished." They ran through the walls to return to Cinderella's room.

Latula and Jaq hid near the wardrobe after they had finished the dress. They watched carefully as Cinderella entered the room and went to the window.

"Oh, well… What's a royal ball?" she sighed sadly. "After all, I suppose it would be frightfully dull and boring… and completely… completely wonderful." She stared at the castle.

"Cinderella!" called out Latula with a shrill whistle. Cinderella turned around as Latula and Jaq open the wardrobe to reveal her completed dress.

"Is that my dress?" Cinderella asked in surprise.

"Yeah. It's a present from us. Now you have a dress for the ball." Cinderella walked over to them. She lowered her hands and picked up Latula and Jaq.

"Why, it's… it's such a surprise…"

"Flurry! Time to go, Cinderelly!" said Jaq, rushing Cinderella to get ready in time.

"Oh, thank you."

After Cinderella got ready to go to ball and left, Latula and Jaq found themselves alone. The paid at on the windowsill, looking out at the castle.

"Jaq-Jaq hope Cinderelly's dream come true," said Jaq "What's a Tula's dream?"

"Huh?" droned Latula. She looked up into the sky, wondering how to answer the question. "I wonder…"

"Being a Keyblade Master ith all I've dreamed about."
"Well, you're not the only one."

"I know. You, me, and Tulip all thhare the thame dream."

Latula shook her head to clear it of the flashback.

"Weird… I'd never really thought about it-at least until you asked me," she finally said after a while. "My dream is to become a Keyblade Master." Latula summoned her Keyblade in hand.

"Hope-a Tula's dream come true, too," Latula released her Keyblade.

"I just need to keep on believing, right?"

"Zugk-zugk!" They look at the castle again. It was then that a sudden pain grew inside of Latula. "'Tula?" she looked down at her hands. Everything seemed to be getting bigger. Whatever magic was cast on her seemed to be wearing off.

Latula stood up in a hurry. She couldn't be seen at her normal size.

"Uh… sorry, Jaq," she said quickly. Latula slammed the teal, red and black guard on her shoulder, summoning her armor. "I really gotta go." She was already an inch bigger than before. Latula quickly summoned her Keyblade, changing it into her glider. Two inches bigger. Latula jumped on the glider and headed out the window. "Say goodbye to Cinderella for me! I hope we see each other again really soon!"

By the time Latula had left the world, she had returned to her normal size. She continued on her journey throughout the different worlds. Who knew what was going to happen to her next?

Author: In the next chapter, Latula travels to a world ravaged by sleep. She must team up with some faries to return a princess's heart and help wake the kingdom. But, she runs into a familiar face and learns something terrible about Mituna. Can she put that aside to save the day?

Author: Also, personal note, the way the mice speak annoy the crap out of me.