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| - The message traveled from Camelot to the surrounding areas that Excalibur was stolen. From each village to the next, the guards at the stations blew their horns to alert the next village and all its denizens of the crisis. Workers would stop their activities in the fields just to listen. "Excalibur! It's been stolen!" gasped Monterey Jack. For the other areas, too far away from the villages or Camelot itself, the neighboring people would alert those who didn't know. The news spread across the land like wildfire. Upon hearing the news when she was out by the henhouse, Bianca dropped her basket and quickly ran towards her house. She practically flew up the steps and ran into her house. She hadn't realized how fast she was running until then. Her chance at becoming a knight was almost in her grasp, she thought. "No. Absolutely not!" Minnie said firmly. She looked up from the hem she was stitching on a flowing white dress, which was held up by one of their two servants, a maid whose name was Gadget Hackwrench. She had creamy fur, long, flowing, golden-blonde hair, sea-green eyes, and a pink button nose. She wore noting but a lavender jumpsuit and a pair of blue safety goggles. Across from them, their other servant, a chipmunk with a black nose, wearing a brown fedora and a bomber jacket, named Chip, dusted the mantle above the fireplace while humming a soft song. "But Minnie," Bianca protested. "Excalibur is missing! I must go after it." Gadget moved over to Bianca and began to measure various parts of her body for the dress. Bianca, however, refused to stay still, making this job a lot harder for Gadget. Bianca sauntered in a circle, causing the young maid to almost fall over while trying to measure the young girl's legs. "That's a job for knights, not a young girl." Minnie said sternly. "But I want to be a knight." Bianca argued, "We'll go on grand adventures, fighting evil, rescuing damsels in distress. What is a damsel, anyway?" Bianca asked, as Minnie threw the dress she'd been working on over Bianca's head. "Now, Miss Bianca, stand still and try on your new dress." Minnie said, shoving the dress onto Bianca, who, in return, didn't stand still. "Minnie, I don't want a new dress, I want to save Camelot! If you'd just let me, I know I could find Excalibur all on my own." Bianca said, moving her arms almost as if she could get out of the dress. Minnie disapprovingly glared at her friend, while Gadget sighed and rolled up her tape measure. "The knights will find the sword, and they'll do it by working together." said Minnie, as Bianca grabbed the shield Chip was trying to hang on the mantle. It was her brother's shield and still had the dents to prove that. "While I'm working here, doing the chores, fetching the eggs, taking care of the house. Boring! Where's the glory in that?" She handed the shield back to Chip and pouted looking at Minnie. "Bianca, one day you will learn what Camelot means. Till then, you'll stay here with me." Minnie said, pulling Bianca close and touching her face softly. "Oh, alright!" Bianca said disappointedly, as she threw the dress off at her friend before running away. Minnie sighed and picked up the dress. She looked at the tapestry on the wall of Mickey, Bianca, and herself. "What would you do?" she asked sadly while looking longingly at the tapestry. The three looked peaceful and like a family. Minnie would give anything to have that feeling again. Bianca continued her chore of collecting eggs. Iago was flirting with two Jigglypuffs, which made Thundra angry and march right over. With one jab, the Thundra sent Iago flying through the air and into Bianca's arms when she went to see what was happening. "How am I ever gonna do great things when I'm stuck here?" she asked herself. "With these silly birds." she added, as she picked up one of the eggs. Iago squawked in fear and made Bianca look out and drop the egg she was holding. The windows of the stone house were shattered by flaming arrows. And the front door was broken down and a group of thugs (consisting of mice and a lizard) barged in and surrounded the door hole. Minnie and her friends were alarmed. Inside it was Ratigan, who was wearing a black top hat with a purple ribbon around the "dome." "Knock, knock." he said. "Who-who are you?" Minnie demanded. Ratigan removed his hat. Minnie gasped. "Ratigan!" "Minnie Mouse," Ratigan began, as he walked to the mouse. "I was in the neighborhood, and thought I'd invade. How about a little kiss? I hear you're still single." he said as he touched Minnie's chin. "Impertinent pig!" Minnie yelled, slapping Ratigan across the face. Ratigan narrowed his eyes. "Is that a no?" "I demand you to leave immediately!" Minnie ordered. "So rude!" Ratigan said sarcastically, as he walked to the fireplace, "And after I came all this way…" He leaned against the fireplace, "…just to see you." "What do you want?" Minnie demanded. Ratigan said the one word that was on his mind for years, "Camelot." The traitorous sewer rat began to sing. Ratigan: Let's go back to war and violenceI'm so bored with peace and... Chip, who was scared, dropped his goblet of wine, and it shattered to the floor. Ratigan: SILENCE!Nights of evil, filled with fearYour worst dream, that's my idea of fun! "You're mad!" Minnie said. To Ratigan, it was a complement. "I'm so glad you noticed." he said, "I've been working at it for years." He began to sing again. Ratigan: Let darkness find it's sad waysLet's go back to good old bad daysNo more foolish acts of kindness Ratigan pounded the table and catapulted some flying eating utensils before taking the sword into his hands. Ratigan: Conker and his kingdom will be mine! He walked to the family tapestry and cut around Bianca's head, saying, "And pretty Minnie, you're going to help me." The mouse would never assist the crook. "I would sooner die!" she said. Ratigan ripped the cut-out tapestry piece and brought it at neck point. "I think you'll find… you won't be able to resist!" he said, as he slit the piece at the neck, revealing full vision of Bianca being dragged in by John (a short, fat mouse with tan fur, curvy, pink ears, short whiskers, a brown nose, a round head, a white bucktooth, and brown eyes, wearing an orange shirt, a brown bowler hat with an orange ribbon around the "dome," a brown vest, matching pants, a dark brown leather belt with a gold buckle, and brown shoes and smoking a cigar) and Max (a medium-sized, thin mouse with tan fur, curvy, pink ears, long whiskers, a brown nose, a round head, and violet eyes, wearing a gray cap, an orange-&-purple striped shirt, a purple jacket, matching pants, and black shoes). "Minnie!" Bianca cried. Minnie gasped in fear. Ratigan cackled evilly as Bianca was brought forward, and Bill the Lizard (a tall, thin, green lizard, wearing a brown shirt, a black hat, and matching pants) handed Ratigan his sword. "Don't you dare harm her!" Minnie demanded. Ratigan turned to her and said, "Follow my plan…" While his back was turned, Bianca drew out a mace from Peewee Pete (a short, thin mouse with tan fur, perky, rounded, pink ears, white buckteeth, a brown nose, long whiskers, and blue eyes, wearing a turquoise turtleneck shirt with long sleeves, a pink vest, a blue cap, matching pants, and black shoes) and attempted to hit Ratigan, who turned quickly and grabbed the spiked head, squeezing it as well. He brought his face close to Bianca's and said, "…and she won't be hurt." Ratigan and his thugs dragged the prisoners outside, and the rat announced, Ratigan: Years from now, no one will botherTo recall your good King ConkerBecause all of this will be mine!This will all be mine! Ratigan continued to sing. Ratigan: I have a planIt includes youYou, Minnie Mouse, will lead me to CamelotWhere I will claim all this is mineIn the back of your wagons, my men will all hideYou'll sit up front as the gates open wideNow watch me create my robotic army with pride! Old Blind Joe (the thug with the eye patch who sat up front on Felicia's back) knelt before Ratigan and presented him with a box, and Ratigan took out a bottle of glowing neon green liquid. Ratigan: With this potion I bought from some witches He grabbed Iago while he and Thundra were walking without Thundra noticing. Then he poured the neon green liquid on Iago and into a well. In his hand was an ax. Ratigan: A drop on this parrotAnd watch as it switches into a weaponThat I can use at will.Now this parrot can kill! Then Ratigan threw Iago and the ax into the well where the potion was working in and made an explosion-like reaction. Bianca and Minnie gasped in fear. And out came the same parrot, but his feathers were now silver, his tail feathers were now red, the whites of his eyes were white instead of yellow, and his beak was replaced with the ax. Ratigan: Ta-dah!BeholdUm...Robo Iago! Ratigan was humming his theme song to himself as he paced past the well. He shoved Old Blind Joe into the well with two flails. He was fused with the weapons as arms. He was silver and metallic with glowing gold eyes. Ratigan: Step right up and enter quicklyI'll transform the meek and sicklyInto iron mice with hands of steel.Yes, yesInto the water!Quickly now!Go, you fools!Next, stand up straight now!Move it along! A fat mouse named Gunsmoke Gary (the thug during the "World's Greatest Criminal Mind" number) came up with a useless fork. Ratigan shoved Gunsmoke Gary into the well with a crossbow. Ratigan: No, no, no, no, no!That's no good!Prepare for the dawningOf a new age!The Ratiganian age!Year One! Terry Farrell (the muscular mouse who pounds the club in his paw) was so awe-struck; he foolishly released Bianca and followed his crowd. The white mouse stepped back a bit, then Thomas Farrell (the stout mouse with the beer mug in his paw and Terry's twin brother), unknown that Bianca wasn't under security, grabbed Minnie's arm. "Go to Camelot. Warn Conker." she whispered to Bianca. "I won't leave you here!" the Hungarian mouse rebelled. "Bianca, Ratigan will be in Camelot in three days. Take the main road; get there before us." Minnie instructed. "But Minnie…" "Go! While you have the chance! Go, Bianca. You're our only hope. Bianca did not want to save Camelot, but she didn't want to leave her friend captive, so she had no choice. She slipped away through a crevice in the stone wall. "Be careful, dear." Minnie wished. The thugs chanted for their master as they danced around the well. Ratigan's Thugs: Bring on the darknessBring on the gloomWe are the army of death and gloomBring on the darknessBring on the gloomWe are the army of death and gloom The thugs continued dancing and chanting as Ratigan continued his song. Ratigan: Only one will be reveredWorshipped, hated, loved, and feared! Robo Iago began to feel the rhythm in the dancing and joined in, only laughing and dancing differently. Ratigan: I'd just like to say a few words:I, me, mine!You were mistaken if you believedRatigan was someone who'd crumble and leaveNow I am back, and I will be staying this time! The thugs ended their choral chant while Ratigan finished his song. Ratigan: I told you onceI told you twiceEverything you see before youEvery last bit of itWillBeMine Once the song was over, Ratigan laughed wickedly. "To the wagons!" Ratigan ordered, "Next stop: Camelot!" Bianca strolled below, and then she noticed something in the sky. It was the gray peg-legged bat with the broken wing coming below. Bianca ran for cover under a stone platform and heard Ratigan talking. "Oh, my dear Fidget." he chuckled, "How was the flight? You've reached across the land." "Precisely." Fidget said. "My plan is perfect!" "Precisely!" "Without the sword, Conker is vulnerable." "Precisely!" "And now Excalibur is mine!" Conker's yellow eyes widened and turned away. "Here's where we enter a gray area." he said. Ratigan turned to Fidget and grabbed him by the ear. The bat was brought face to face. "Excuse me?" he asked. "You lost Excalibur? How?" Bianca climbed up the stone wall, but she laid her head low so she wouldn't be seen. "I was attacked by a swallow." Fidget explained. "What?" questioned Ratigan, "My magnificent beast outmatched by a puny little pigeon!" "It wasn't a pigeon," Fidget answered. "It was a swallow! With indigo wings." "Indigo wings! Ooh, scary!" Ratigan mocked. Then he grabbed the bat by his scarf and brought him close to him, "You stupid animal! Where is the sword…now?" he asked. This time, Fidget responded, "In a place of untold danger: in the Forbidden Forest." Bianca now knew where she had to go, so she stealthily went away to her steed. Ratigan secretly let his anger go, and smiled at Fidget, still in his grasp. "Have I ever told you today…how magnificently and totally worth…" The rat raised his voice and stomped on Fidget's foot, "…LESS YOU ARE!" the bat hopped up and down in such pain while he held his foot. "Ow! My foot! My only foot!" "Excalibur is the one thing that can keep me from my conquest of Camelot!" Ratigan shouted before looking yonder and noticing an escapee on a fox. "No, not the...the girl!" he exclaimed. Then Ratigan turned to Old Blind Joe and Gunsmoke Gary before they both saluted. Robo Iago, who was still dancing, abruptly stopped as he bumped into Gunsmoke Gary. "You, you, and you! Fancy feet! After her! And bring her back!" he ordered. He then turned to Fidget and said, "And you, you are going to lead me to Excalibur." Bianca, who was still riding on Tod, exited through the gates and was off to Camelot. Meanwhile, Minnie, being dragged into a wagon, began to sing. Minnie: I pray you'll be our eyesAnd watch her where she goesAnd help her to be wiseHelp me to let goEvery woman's prayerEvery child knowsNeeds to find a placeGuide her with your graceGive her faith so she'll be safeLead her to a placeGuide her with your graceTo a place where she'll be safe Bianca continued to race from Old Blind Joe, Gunsmoke Gary, and Robo Iago, but Tod came across a foggy forest. Its fierce darkness made the him stand and make Bianca fall off. Then he ran off, and Old Blind Joe, Gunsmoke Gary, and Robo Iago were now in her view riding upon warthogs. She knew she couldn't just lie where she fell. She gazed into what was the Forbidden Forest. There were dark trees and streams of fog. The white mouse got up and entered the forest.
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