[Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay on the next chapter, and that it's a bit shorter than the previous. I've been really busy lately and lost my muse, but it's back enough that I finished this update. Hope it's not too rushed, enjoy! I'll be sure to work harder on the next one.]
Flei and Jim entered Spaceship Earth as planned. There was a bit of a line since quite some time had passed that day and most of the guests by now have made their early runs to the most popular rides in Epcot and were now making their way to more laid back attractions. But just like Finding Nemo that has a multiple loading area, the line was no more than 10 minutes. Since the actual attraction itself was only 15 to 20 minutes max, the two wishers had planned to ride the attraction twice, a third time if necessary.
"This place sure gives a nostalgic feeling every time I come here," Jim commented as they were waiting.
"I know what you mean. I always go on this ride every time I come to Epcot," Flei agreed. "It never changes, but that's what is nostalgic about it. The more times you ride it, the more you remember each individual exhibit."
When they reached the loading area, the cast member guiding guests looked and smiled at them.
"Party of three?" She asked. Flei and Jim were taken by surprise and looked behind them. They hadn't really paid attention to the guests around them, so they didn't see the girl behind them wearing a fashionable cap with the brim well down to cover her eyes, cute casual summer clothes, and carrying a fanny pack around her waist. It wasn't how she looked that was weird but how she acted; silent with her head held low and her hands clasped behind her back.
"Uh, no, just two," Flei told her as she and Jim tried to keep in their surprise. But she couldn't stop glancing at the girl. The cast member pointed them to the next empty car where it could seat two and they went immediately without another glance behind them. They didn't have to look back to figure out the single girl joined them in the same car one row behind, since each individual car seats four.
"What should we do?" Jim whispered as they sat down and waited for their car to begin its procession.
"Be as normal and guest like as possible," Flei told him. "We'll talk occasionally of how muc h we love this ride. Try not to look too observant." Jim nodded as they both relaxed and tried to look like normal kids enjoying a good Disney ride.
xxxx
While Flei, Jim, and the mysterious girl with them were on Spaceship Earth, Din, Peter, and Cindy were strolling around the World Showcase.
"I want to go to France!" Cindy exclaimed in her usual princess-like voice. Din rolled his eyes.
"There's nothing to do in France, we ought to go to somewhere better like China or Mexico," Din sighed.
"That's true," Peter agreed with Din. "There's the 360 degree theater showing in China, and the Three Caballeros in Mexico. We may look like normal kids, but we can't afford to waste time here."
"Atta' boy Peter, I knew I can count on my fellow guy like you," Din smiled. Cindy pouted.
"You jerks! Why am I always stuck with tagging along with you and your boy stuff!" she nearly yelled at them, causing them both to jump and stop in their tracks to look at her. She looked like she was about to cry. That was how Cindy always was.
"C-Cindy..." Peter looked at her.
"Take it easy, we're only joking around," Din exclaimed. Cindy frowned and stomped her foot.
"I've had it! I've had it with you two! If you don't want to go to France with me, then I can go by myself. Hmph, goodbye," she told them as she turned to walk off on her own.
"Cindy!" Peter called as he moved to follow her, but stopped to look at Din.
Din sighed and scratched his head with a smile, "Go after her man, she's your princess and your her prince charming. I'll take care of the exhibits."
"But-"
"Just go," Din ordered him as he gave a light push. "We all know Cindy can't last 5 minutes without you. You've been together since you were really young right?"
Peter nodded with a smile. "Thanks, Din."
Din shrugged, "I owe you one from earlier. Meet in in Mexico once our princess has calmed down?"
"Yeah, see you then," Peter agreed as they parted ways.
Xxxx
Cindy was nearly in site of France before she stopped at a nearby bench on the verge of tears. While it was true the boys annoyed her by acting more friendly with each other than with her, she still felt bad for yelling at them.
"And what's a pretty lady like you doing all alone?" A voice asked her. Cindy looked up to see Peter standing in front of her.
"Oh Peter I-" Cindy bit her lip to hold back her tears. Peter reached into his pocket and held out a handkerchief to her. It was his favorite one, a dark green with the letters P and C embroidered on a corner. Cindy gave it to him on his 10th birthday.
"Now now, no tears. Tears don't suit a princess like you," Peter tried to calm her down as he wiped her tears for her.
Cindy shook her head. "I'm not a princess at all. You saw how rude I was to you and Din especially earlier. I know we're here on a mission and yet all I thought about was having fun like a normal girl."
"You are a normal girl Cindy, we all are," Peter told her, putting his hand on top of hers. "We just have a little extra gift inside of us that makes us who we are as a team, as Wishers. If it weren't for those gifts, we wouldn't have been able to become friends with Din, Jimmy, or Flei."
"But I'm not like you guys. I'm not a leader like Flei, as wise as Jim, as patient as you, or even as witty as Din. Sure I know martial arts, but that's not exactly fitting for a girl like me," Cindy sighed, propping up her arms to rest her chin in her hands. Peter stared off for a moment, watching other park guests pass by and the small ferry boat in Epcot's water sail from port to port around the world.
"Say do you remember in 5th grade when I was being bullied in the neighborhood?" Peter suddenly spoke. Cindy gave him a strange look.
"Why do you bring that up all of a sudden?"
"I would've been in some serious trouble had you not come along and taken care of those bullies for me," he smiled. Cindy blushed at the memory of herself as a little girl taking down big neighborhood bullies.
"So? I happened to be passing by and thought it was unfair three against one," Cindy tried to brush it off. Peter laughed.
"Haha, true, but don't you remember what you said to me after you chased those bullies away?" Peter asked, looking directly into Cindy's eyes. She was always mesmerized by his eyes, which were a light green, close to Neverland's green. "You said you'll protect me from anyone or anything, that you'll protect your prince charming so you can marry me in the future haha."
Cindy blushed even harder, "That was when we were kids, I ended up saying a lot of things I probably don't mean anymore now."
"Haha, that may be true, but still," Peter slipped off the bench and moved to kneel in front of Cindy. Taking one of her small hands in both of his slightly larger hands he whispered, "now I am the one who shall protect my princess from any harm or danger, Cinderella."
Cindy's face was totally red at the sudden princely behavior coming from her childhood friend. What was once a small boy who could barely stand up to some bullies now kneeled before her and swears an oath of protection. "D-Do what you want," Cindy muttered, turning her face away to hide her embarrassement. Peter smiled and stood up, still holding onto her hand.
"Now then, shall I escort you to Mexico my lady?" Peter asked. Cindy sighed and nodded, feeling how France would probably be a waste of time for what they came to do.
As they were walking still holding hands on the way to Mexico, Cindy whispered to Peter, "Peter?"
"Hmm?"
"...I'll still protect you," she nearly mumbled, still having a hint of blush on her cheeks. Peter smiled and his cheeks gave presence of a hint of blush as well.
"As you wish, my lady," he replied.
xxxx
After Peter had left, Din made his way to the China showcase to catch the viewing of the movie in the 360 theater. He had only been in here once when he was younger and could hardly stand it because it was hard to stare at all the screens around him and it just made Din sick and dizzy. But now that he was older he felt confident he can handle it.
As he entered the enormous theater with a few other guests and casually took a nice spot against the railing around the center, he noticed something that caught his eye. A particular guest had entered shortly after he took his place, but the guest's appearance looked rather strange to him. Her hair looked like it had been dyed, went natural, and was dyed again with shades of orange and pink. She was dressed in a white blouse and denim shorts, and wearing tacky looking sunglasses over her eyes. Din wondered if it was supposed to be some type of disguise or just her fashion sense. He shrugged it off, thinking all sorts of people come to Disney World and focused his attention up on the screens, which were still gray since there were a few min left till showing. Din nearly forgot about the girl with the strangely dyed hair until the lights dimmed and the movie started playing when he noticed the girl came over to stand directly next to him. Sure he did have a nice spot in the theater, but she was standing only about a foot away. In a huge area like this, guests wouldn't normally have to stand close to other guests, and it wasn't even crowded at the current time.
"Maybe she thinks I'm good looking and wants to hit on me," Din joked in his head. But aside from the closeness of where they stood, she kept her head down and kept silent. Din decided to ignore her for now and pay attention to the movie. As he kept his eyes up and moving around seeing all the screens interact with one another, the girl beside him started whispering.
"Pen...paper...china..." she whispered in a trance like voice. Din would've paid no mind to her until he noticed her arm moving up and making a writing like gesture. "Pen...paper..." she mumbled. Din wondered if she had some type of mental problem something.
"H-Hey, are you okay? Do you need a pen and paper?" He asked in a whisper, to not disturb the other guests. When he didn't get a response, he immediately handed her a mini notepad he had in his pocket with an attached pen. When the girl felt them in her hands, she immediately started drawing despite being in a dark theatre with only the screens for light, without looking down. "Whoa!" Din nearly shouted but kept his voice down as he watched her amazingly sketch random pictures on the tiny pad. Pictures of objects or places that some Din recognized were from China and also some Din didn't know what to make of. When she felt she was running out of space, she immediately flipped to the next page, and the next until she had filled out 4 pages of drawing. As soon as she finished, she blinked twice and spoke for the first time in a quiet, surprised voice.
"Huh? What was I...oh!" She gasped as she noticed the pad and pen in her hands.
"That's amazing!" Din complimented her, again in a whisper, totally forgetting about paying attention to the movie. "You, like, drew that as if you were blindfolded!"
"I must have had another vision...oh, you're...Din," the girl suddenly said looking at Din without question. Din stepped back in surprise.
"How do you know my name?"
"Uh..." all of a sudden the girl grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the exit.
"H-hey, wait, I..." Din tried to protest, but before he could pull loose he was already out of the theater and into the hot, humid Florida sun. Crap what did I get myself into now? He thought.