Magical Memories, by Morpher

Chapter 1
Chapter One

---

Chapter Description: By Morpher

---

Chapter One

 

“This is bullshit.”

 

“Preaching to the choir, Bernie.”

 

Bernard scowls as he and his twin make their way through the terminal. He doesn’t need his sister teasing him with that stupid kid name, especially given that the very circumstances that have brought them to Orlando, Florida are already ridiculous enough. “I can’t believe this.”

 

“Really? Can’t believe good old mum and dad would threaten to cut us off and withhold our inheritance from us? Geez, I really am the smarter one.” Sophia wears a smile as she walks alongside her brother, a hand brushing a few of her chocolate brown locks out of her eyes as she goes.

 

“They have no good reason to-”

 

“For me, yeah, I agree. But you Bernie, ending up at a second-rate community college after all of that private schooling, not even getting-”

 

“Shut up already.”

 

Sophia shrugs off her twin’s glare as she continues to walk alongside him. After nineteen years of life together with the boy, she’s more than used to dealing with him.

 

“At least I’m not a liar.”

 

Sophia doesn’t appreciate that one bit. “Look, I only told dad that I’d think about following in his footsteps. I didn’t make any commitment.”

 

“Yeah, sure you didn’t. ‘Sorry dad, I actually want to major in Journalism and Poli-Sci. Happy Thanksgiving!’ Yeah, that turned out real great.” Bernard knows he’s gotten under his twin’s skin, knows he’s pushed her buttons. And he knows he’s pushed them the right amount to avoid retaliation. As he watches Sophia attempt to maintain a façade of calm, he does his best to hide the smirk he so desperately wants to make.

 

“Well, we’re both here now for this stupid challenge. Might as well get it over with.”

 

“Why doesn’t Arianna have to do this shit?”

 

“Because she’s thirteen. She hasn’t fucked up her life yet in their eyes. Not yet anyway.”

 

“My life is fucking good right now, thank you very-”

 

“That’s the last time I want to hear that language out of you, young man! You as well, miss.”

 

“Who asked-” Bernie freezes as he stares into the chilling blue eyes of the woman before him. A foot behind him, Sophia too finds herself unable to do much else save look ahead at the blonde.

 

“My, your parents were quite right.” The woman appears to be in her mid-thirties, curly blonde hair falling just down to her shoulders and no lower. Wearing a tan suit jacket atop a matching skirt, the woman isn’t exactly who the twins had in mind when they had learned that someone would be there to pick them up. Both Bernard and Sophia are briefly able to pull their eyes away to see the “Bernie and Sophie Arast” sign in her right hand, although the distraction doesn’t last long as the woman clears her throat.

 

“Eyes up here, you two.”

 

“And who exactly are you?” As much as Sophia wants to snap back at the woman, she can’t; something about her is just so off-putting, so demanding of authority. And she can’t figure out what it is.

 

“My name is Viola, children. Your parents have hired me to serve as your nanny for your little ‘vacation’ down here. Although I suppose for you two it seems more like a trial-”

 

“Woah, nanny?” Bernard’s face starts to burn up at the idea of being treated like a child. “How old do you think we are, lady? We don’t need a fu-”

 

“I’d be VERY careful about the next word that comes out of your mouth, young man.” The words pierce through Bernard like icy daggers, the color started to drain from his cheeks as he feels the need to take a deep breath before continuing.

 

Luckily for him, Sophia has questions too. “Forgive Bernard, Viol-”

 

“You will address me as Miss Viola or Nanny Viola from now on, Sophie.”

 

“Okay, first off, don’t call me Sophie. I hate that baby name.”

 

“Hate is a very strong word, young lady.” Sophia gulps as she nods. She doesn’t know why she, the girl on campus known for being vocal about a number of touchy political subjects, is having such a hard time talking back to the woman before her. But she seems to know that getting on her bad side isn’t a good idea. Especially if this woman had some say in whether or not she gets her inheritance back.

 

“Right. What Bernard was trying to say is that we’re both college-going adults. We don’t need a ‘nanny’ to supervise us.”

 

“In this situation, I think you do. Your parents were very specific when they hired me to supervise you for the week. ‘Note any bad behavior. Let us know if they are able to use money responsibly.’”

 

“Sure sounds like dad.” Bernard rolls his eyes, arms crossed over his chest as he stares at the nanny. “What kind of woman are you though, looking after the two of us like we’re children? Never heard of that job before.”

 

Viola only offers a curt smile to the two. “They say I’m one of a kind. Now come along, we don’t want to miss our bus.”

 

Sophia nods as she starts to walk to the right, only for Viola to place a hand on her shoulder. “And where do you think you’re going?”

 

“To pick up our luggage. We checked our stuff.”

 

“You needn’t worry about any of that. I’ve already spoke with the crew here. It’s going to be delivered straight to our hotel rooms.”

 

Bernard frowns as he starts to head to the right as well. “I know Disney does that stuff, but you at least need the stuff on the bus before-”

 

“I already told you, Bernard. It’ll be there.” It’s as if a spell has been cast on the teen, Bernard only able to nod as he gulps. Part of him wants to reach the conveyer belt that is just now starting to spit out luggage from their flight. But another part of him beckons him to the woman before him. And that part is far stronger. He shares a confused look with his twin, Sophia seeming equally as helpless as she stands frozen in place.

 

“Right. Okay.”

 

 

“Now that we’re all settled in here, I think we should discuss the conditions of the arrangement your parents have made.” Sitting on the right aisle of a rather lively Disney’s Magical Express bus, Viola opens up her carpet bag as she begins to rummage through it.

 

“It’s like she’s Mary Poppins or something. Accent and everything.” Bernard whispers to his sister, the teenager closer to Viola giving a small nod as she continues to watch her work. Just what sort of woman was she?

 

“Ah, here we are!” Viola procures a small notepad and a pen as she faces the two. “What did your parents tell you when they told you about this adventure of yours?”

 

“That unless we go and perform ‘splendidly,’ we’re being cut off. Dad sort of forgot to mention how exactly we’re supposed to perform.”

 

“Then it’s a good thing I’m here. There are quite a few rules to this little trip of ours, so pay attention as I explain them to you. First of all, you are both to be on your best behavior. There will be no more swearing, sneaking out after dark, or acting in an unacceptable manner. You two are quite lucky that I’m willing to disregard some of your early behavior at the airport. Know that from now on, everything you do matters. Got it?”

 

“Y-Yes mam.” Part of Sophia wants to tear her own throat out: since when has she been one to blindly obey authority figures like that?

 

“Bernard, I need an answer from you too.”

 

“Yeah, okay.” Bernard glances outside, wondering how much longer to go until they actually reach Disney World.

 

“Good. Now, your parents told me all about the two of you, about how you were once such sweet children who truly loved spending time here.”

 

“Yeah, when we were kids maybe. But guess what? We grew up.” Bernard grumbles. Sophia rolls her eyes, despite largely feeling the same as her twin about the matter.

 

“Nonsense! You can enjoy an amazing place like this at any age. Many adults without children travel here all the time. And of course, many with children enjoy this place as much as their kids do!” Viola smiles at the two, and it only grows as the bus starts to take a right turn. “We’ll be there soon, so how about we discuss how things need to play out before you two can have your inheritance back.”

 

“Alright. What do we need to do?” Sophia can see the large yellow arch in the distance. For all the things that have changed, that certainly isn’t one of them.

 

“First I need you both to put these on. Your parents were quite specific about this I’m afraid.” Bernard and Sophia watch as Viola pulls two small bands out of her bag: one blue, one pink. “Your Magic Bands. They’ll make things a lot easier for the two of you here.”

 

“I’ve heard about these. Make paying and getting on rides a lot easier.” Bernard shrugs, taking the blue one as he straps it around his right wrist. Sophia hesitates before she does the same with hers.

 

“Excellent. Now, you are never to remove those during your stay here.”

 

“And why the he-” A glare stops Bernard before he can say anything more. “…why not?”

 

“I can’t say for sure, but it is what your parents desire. You should both note that removing them will trigger an alarm that I’ll be aware of. And if that alarm ever goes off, you forfeit your chance to get your money back.”

 

“Mom and dad really have this all planned out, huh?” Sophia asks, studying the band with interest. She can’t exactly explain why, but something about it makes her feel a bit odd.

 

As the bus passes under the sign welcoming them to Walt Disney World, both Bernard and Sophia feel a little jolt. It passes in an instant, but both twins get the feeling that something strange has just happened. Viola, meanwhile, continues to speak to the two.

 

“Now, there are a few other conditions to note. For one thing, each day you will be given an allowance of a few hundred dollars, the amount varying on where we are. But know that you should only make wise purchases if you wish to have more money in your futures.”

 

“Yeah, okay.” Sophia says, still wondering what exactly she had experienced a few moments prior.

 

“And now the last condition: the two of you must meet with several characters if you want to-”

 

“Oh come on-”

 

“I was speaking, Bernard.” The brown-haired boy gives a timid nod as he hears the annoyance in Viola’s voice. What is it about her that unsettles him?

 

“As I was saying, the two of you must meet with several characters within the parks, and you each have different lists. Sophia, you had quite the princess phase I hear, so in honor of that your parents would like you to meet with all of the Disney Princesses during your stay here.”

 

“That hardly seems fair. How many of them are there now, like, twelve?”

 

“I have a list here if you want to check. And you can complain about it all you’d like, but if you want a cushy adult life you’d better go ahead and meet them. Otherwise have fun paying off college by yourself.” Sophia can only scowl as she realizes how helpless she is in this situation.

 

“As for you, Bernard, your parents said you were a big Winnie the Pooh fan, not to mention Mickey Mouse too. So you’ll be meeting with all of that gang at some point during this vacation. Understood?”

 

Bernard’s face burns red, the young man unable to believe that his parents would ever make him do something so embarrassing. To wait in a line with a bunch of toddlers to see a stupid kid’s character?

 

He takes in a deep breath and exhales it. At the end of this ridiculous load is money: enough money to ensure he doesn’t need to ever work a day in his life if it spends it right. He just has to hold out for that.

 

“Okay. I guess we can do that.”

 

“Excellent.” Viola seems rather pleased with the two as she looks ahead, the bus now taking another exit. “We’re almost there! Come now you two, you should be excited about this!”

 

Sophia chooses to ignore the woman as she catches a glimpse at a sign. “The Magic Kingdom?”

 

“Ah yes, I haven’t explained our itinerary yet. We’ll be staying at the Polynesian Resort during our time together, the two of you in one room while I take the neighboring one. We’ll be visiting the Magic Kingdom today, and then tomorrow we’ll take on the Animal Kingdom. After that we’ll do Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and then Magic Kingdom once again!”

 

“Why do we have to do MK twice?”

 

“Because that’s where most of the characters you two need to meet are, Sophia. There will be plenty of lines, and you can only use the FastPass system so many times. Besides, today is just to help ease you in anyway. Ah, here we are!”

 

 

“How long since the last time we came here?”

 

“Five, six years maybe? Arianna was pretty little then, and we were starting to get out of our Disney phase.”

 

“Took us that long to realize the truth about all of this manufactured happiness, huh?” Bernard chuckles as he studies the countless families walking up and down Main Street U.S.A. He too was once blissfully unaware about the truths of the world, but thankfully he was no longer that way.

 

“Come now, what’s this rubbish you’re speaking, Bernie?”

 

“I thought I told you not to call me that.” Bernard snaps, only to back down immediately as Viola’s smile falls away. “S-Sorry.”

 

Viola nods as she looks around. “A truly magical place this is. Think of how many millions of happy memories are created here each year? Sure, prices may be a bit high, but you can’t put a price on a child’s smile I always say!”

 

“Too bad we aren’t kids then.” Sophia says, rolling her eyes as their little group starts to walk forward. As much as she hates to admit it, a rush of fond memories stream through her as she looks upon the old-timey themed district of the theme park. She remembers having lunch at Tony’s, remembers buying those delicious cinnamon rolls at the bakery.

 

“Wow, Starbucks huh? And people say that Disney doesn’t sell out?” Bernard can’t help but grin as his sister speaks, although Viola seems none too pleased by their behavior.

 

“You two are being such great sourpusses. Come on, enjoy yourselves. Feel the magic in the air!”

 

“If by magic you mean millions of dollars that went into constructing this money-printing machine, yeah, I can sense that all around me.” Bernard looks over at the various stores that line the street, although before he knows it he, his sister and their “nanny” have stepped into the main courtyard.

 

Cinderella’s Castle stands tall before them, Viola smiling as she gazes upon it. “Quite a sight.”

 

“Would be if we hadn’t seen it before,” Sophia says as she walks toward it. “So, where should we go?”

 

“Well, I’ve already made lunch reservations at the Be Our Guest restaurant in New Fantasyland. That part will at least be new for you two. We have about an hour or two before that though, so you two are free to do whatever you please. Just remember, you have many characters to meet!”

 

Sophia and Bernard share a groan as they are reminded once again about their “mission.” “Alright, we’ll try to knock a few of them off today.” Sophia’s voice lacks all enthusiasm as she looks at the list. “I think Tiana is over at the Liberty Square part. So why don’t we go there so we can ride the Haunted Mansion right after.”

 

“I’m down with that. Wonder how badly that old thing has aged.”

 

 

“Why hello there! What’s your name, sugar?”

 

“S-Sophia.” The brunette can’t help herself from answering back truthfully. Despite all of her cynicism, despite the fact that back when The Princess and the Frog was announced she had gone on a loud online tirade about racism at Disney, she can’t help but smile a bit as she looks upon the beautiful woman in a green dress before her.

 

“Sophia! What a lovely name that is! I’m Tiana, although I’m sure you already knew that.”

 

“Y-Yeah.” Sophia isn’t sure why she feels so nice standing next to an actress pretending to be a princess who gets transformed into a frog. “Umm, where’s Naveen?” She asks, remembering the prince’s name from the movie she was forced to watch whilst babysitting Arianna a few years back.

 

“Oh him? He went to go find Louis a new trumpet. You wouldn’t believe the things that gator has clogging up his horn!” Tiana giggles, and strangely enough, Sophia finds herself doing the same. She feels so nice standing next to a beautiful princess like Tiana.

 

“Oh, that’s cool.” The brunette smiles, unsure what else to do as she looks over at Viola and Bernard. Their “nanny” has the brightest of smiles on her face, although Sophia notes that her twin looks confused, his brow wrinkled.

 

“Well, it has been a real treat meeting you, Sophia.” Before the girl can do anything about it, she’s pulled into a hug. A nice, warm hug that makes Sophia smile even more, her entire body seeming to tingle from how nice it all feels.

 

“Nice meeting you too!” Sophia waves good bye as she walks away from the dark-skinned woman and back to her group. And the strange thing is, she genuinely means it.

 

“Well done, Sophia! That’s one we can cross off your list already! Now, why don’t you two go on the Haunted Mansion like you wanted to? The line doesn’t seem that long. I’ll be waiting at the exit!”

 

“Okay. Come on Sophia.” Bernard seems to be in a rush as he takes off for the entrance to the ride, Sophia having to hurry to catch up to him.

 

It’s only when they are far enough away from Viola to be out of earshot that Bernard speaks again. “What the hell was that?”

 

“You know you shouldn’t use that-”

 

“Sophia, what happened back there? You looked like you were enjoying that.”

 

“I…” Sophia isn’t sure what to say: strangely enough, she had enjoyed interacting with the character that she had ranted about in the past. “I’m not really sure, honestly. Something sort of came over me I guess,” she admit.

 

“Well, whatever it is, don’t let it happen again, okay? Just being here I feel really strange.”

 

“There are plenty of other teens around, Bern-”

 

“No, it’s not that,” Bernard says as she shakes his head. “I can’t really explain it, but ever since we got here I’ve felt really funny. Like something is off, and I can’t put my finger on what it is.”

 

Sophia blinks a few times, wondering if she feels the same. Something does seem a bit off, although like her twin she can’t say what. “We’ll think about it later. Come on, let’s at least enjoy this ride.”

 

 

“With all the money Disney makes, you’d think they’d at least update some of the animatronics.” Bernard rolls his eyes as he and his sister leave the ride. To their annoyance, Viola is ready for them, the older woman smiling as the two approach.

 

“Did you two have a nice ride through the spooky mansion? Now, we still have some time before lunch. Is there anything else you’d like to do right now?”

 

“I guess while we’re over here we might as well jump on Pirates,” Sophia suggests. “That or Thunder Mountain.”

 

“The wait for Thunder Mountain will be ridiculous. Might as well do Pirates and see how much they’ve decided to capitalize on Johnny Depp.” Bernard leads the way through Frontierland.

 

Looking around at the well-themed area, he can’t help but notice how much smaller everything seems now. He remembered being amazed by the place as a kid, amazed that so many separate worlds could all fit in this one location. Yet now he can see Disney for all of its flaws too. And there are so very many of them to pick out.

 

“Hey Sophia, see those two?” Bernard smiles as he watches Woody and Jessie meeting with children, the cowboy and cowgirl having permanent smiles on their face. “Shall we?”

 

“Andy’s coming!” The two shouted, briefly catching the attention of the two characters. The twins smirked as they ran ahead, Viola offering an apology as she gave chase.

 

“What was that all about?”

 

“There’s a long-standing rumor that if you shout ‘Andy’s coming’ to Woody and Jessie, they’ll fall down onto the ground.”

 

“Well they certainly didn’t!” Viola says, frowning.

 

Sophia can’t help but smile. “Yep. It’s a complete hoax. But people still do it just to make them mad.”

 

“Hmph. Quite the rude thing.” Viola mutters. “Don’t try anything like that again. I’ll have to report it to your parents otherwise.”

 

“Yeah, sorry.” Bernard doesn’t mean a word of it, but Viola doesn’t need to know that.

 

 

“Like I said, look how much they sold out. How many times did he show up?”

 

“You are quite the bitter young man, Bernard.” Viola says as she follows the two out of the ride. “Why not just sit back and enjoy it for what it is?”

 

“Because it’s a stupid kid’s ride in a place made just for kids. Seriously, you know the only reason I’m here is that-”

 

“Oh look over there, Sophia! It’s Princess Jasmine! And her line is quite short!” Viola grins as she points over to where the rather scantily glad woman stands beside Aladdin, Sophia looking on as she simply nods. “Might as well meet her while we’re here, right?”

 

“Y-Yeah.” Bernard doesn’t like the smile on his twin’s face at all as she gets in line. Something about Sophia seems really off. This isn’t the same girl known for ranting on campus about a myriad of topics. No, she seems like a little kid as she stands with a number of small boys and girls.

 

Bernard frowns. For some reason, Sophia’s clothes look a little big on her.

 

“Now now Bernard, no reason to look sour like that. We’ll get to meet all of your favorite characters soon too!” Viola’s words do nothing to reassure Bernard. He watches as his sister reaches the front of the line, Sophia having the silliest smile on her face as she gives Jasmine a hug and chats with her. The smile remains on her face by the time she has rejoined them, and again Bernard can’t help but feel that something is off. Does she look younger?

 

Looking down at his own body, Bernard gets the feeling that it isn’t how it should be either. He remembers his shirt being quite tight fitting, but for some reason it seems rather loose.

 

“Well done, Sophia! That’s two princesses down! You should try and keep up, young man!” Bernard can only scowl as Viola chides him, the nanny of the group ushering them along. “Come along now, we have lunch reservations to keep!”

 

 

“Huh, interesting. So, what sort of technology is in this thing?” Bernard can’t help but ask the question as food is delivered to their table. As much as he doesn’t want to be here right now, he is glad to get a change of scenery from what he’s used to in the form of New Fantasyland, more specifically the Be Our Guest restaurant. He, Sophia and Viola had all placed their orders, and in turn they had been given a rose. Only a few moments after sitting down, their food had been delivered right to them.

 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, sir.” The young man serving them says with a large smile. “Everything you see here is magic. This is an enchanted castle after all!”

 

“Forget I asked.” Bernard pays the man no further mind as he begins to eat. At least the food quality seems to have improved of recent.

 

“Now, how about we figure out what else we want to do today? You still have your money to spend, and it might be a good idea to get some more characters in! Especially you, Bernard. You have quite a few you need to meet.”

 

“Don’t remind me.” Bernard grumbles, although he steals a glance at his sister. Ever since meeting Tiana and Jasmine, there’s been something off about her. It’s almost as if she’s enjoying her time here now, a smile on her face as she digs into her Braised Pork.

 

“Well if you want even a chance at your inheritance-”

 

“Right, got it.” Bernard sighs. As much as he hates to admit it, she has a point. “So, who can I meet?”

 

“Well, Pooh is at his ride with Tigger. I believe that Mickey now meets at the Town Hall near Tinkerbell, and Goofy and Donald-”

 

“You know what, let’s just do whoever is closest, okay?”

 

“Fair enough.” Viola says, pointing to the new Storybook Circus section of the Magic Kingdom on their map. “You can meet quite a few over there then. Let’s head there once we’ve finished eating. Although, there are some nice gift shops along the way I hear. We should check those out too!”

 

“Okay!” Sophia says, Bernard’s concern only growing as he hears how happy she sounds.

 

 

“Sophia, we need to talk.” It’s been hard to find a time to speak with his sister alone, yet with Viola currently browsing through the wares of Belle’s Village Gifts, Bernard has found the moment he’s been looking for as he stands with his twin at the back of the shop.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“Yes, something is. Something is going on here. You shouldn’t be acting like this. You should be just as miserable as I am.”

 

Sophia’s brows furrow. “Why would I be miserable? I mean, we’re in Disney World, Bernie.”

 

“Yeah, and that’s the problem. We’re practically adults now, Sophia. And a few hours ago, you didn’t want to be here just as much as me. What happened? I think something is going on here.”

 

“I…I’m not sure.” Sophia admits, a look of worry crossing her face. “I-I’ve been feeling funny, like you said you were. And I think my voice sounds a bit different too…”

 

“Then something must really be going on here-”

 

“Sophia! Bernard! Are you getting anything?”

 

“Y-Yes!” Sophia calls over, the teen pointing over at a rather pricy portrait from The Beauty and the Beast.

 

“My, that costs practically all you get for the day!”

 

“I know, but our parents are big fans of the movie, so I’ll give it to them as a present.” Sophia says, the girl unable to admit that part of the reason she wants it is because it features Belle quite heavily. And she has always loved and admired Belle.

 

“Right! Bernard, anything for you?”

 

“Not yet.” The teen grumbles, still worried about his sister.

 

 

As Bernard gazes upon both Donald and Goofy half an hour of waiting later, it isn’t his sister he’s worried about. It’s himself.

 

“Go on Bernard, say hello to your old friends!” Viola’s encouragement is the last thing he needs right now, especially as he is practically drawn over to Goofy. For some reason, the dog-creature is dressed in an aviator costume as he waves Bernard over.

 

“H-Hey.” Bernard manages, accepting a handshake with the costume-wearing man. He knows that this is all a sham, that the person before him isn’t the real Goofy, but rather some guy getting paid a few bucks an hour to act like Goofy.

 

But even if that’s the case, he can’t help but smile. He knows he feels funny again, but with Goofy shaking his hand he can’t do anything about it.

 

He smiles as Viola snaps a picture of the two together, Goofy placing a hand on one of Bernard’s shoulders right before the photo. The result causes Bernard to shiver, although once the photo is over he continues to smile as he approaches Donald Duck.

 

“Hi Donald!” He says, a bit louder than he means to. The duck seems overjoyed to see him as he pulls him over, Bernard tempted to give him a big hug. But part of him knows that’s wrong, so he instead just leans in for another photo before shaking the duck’s hand.

 

“Nice to see you!” He says, his mind full of happy thoughts and warm blankets of softness as he makes his way over to where Sophia and Viola are at the exit.

 

“Did you have a good time with them, Bernard? It was quick but nice, no?”

 

“Uh huh!” The teenager grins, although it starts to fall away as he sees how confused his twin looks.

 

“Alright you two, all of this line waiting has started to take a toll on the day! And I’d like to check into our rooms early tonight if that’s possible. So just a few more activities for the day and then we’ll head out. Don’t worry, you’ll have next time to get everything else in, especially because I plan to arrive at rope drop!”

 

“The line was too long for Ariel, and I know that a lot of other popular characters will be tough to meet today, so how about we go see Merida, Sophia? She’s on our way out anyway! I’m sorry Bernard, but you’ll have to wait to see Pooh next time. I know he’s your favorite.”

 

“Okay.” Bernard doesn’t try hard to hide his obvious disappointment as Viola leads them through the Storybook Circus, the boy smiling as he looks over at Dumbo and all the other rides he’ll get to experience next time.

 

“Bernard,” Sophia whispers behind him. “Snap out of it. You’re scaring me.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Weren’t you the one just telling me that I was acting funny for seeming to enjoy myself? Look at you and the stupid smile you have on your lips.”

 

Bernard blinks a few times as his face scrunches up in concentration. She’s right: he shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as he is. This is all part of his parents’ stupid test. For a moment, he had almost forgotten that. “R-Right, sorry. I’m not sure what came over me.”

 

“I don’t know either. This is all really messed up. But you said I was the worst right after meeting Tiana and Jasmine, right? Maybe it has to do something with meeting the characters.”

 

“Then that’s bad, because we still have quite a few we need to…” Bernard trails off as he walks by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride. While part of him wants very much to mock the childish ride, another part of him screams to get on it. Memories of the chubby bear and all of his friends swarm his mind, Bernard not even realizing that he’s taking a few steps toward it.

 

“Oh no Bernard! Like I said, next time!” Viola says with a bright smile as she takes him by the hand and steers him back on course.

 

Sophia says no more, not now that Viola is so close by. She’s worried about what’s going on, worried about what might happen to her when she sees Merida. She’s a princess too, even though Sophia had little love for the mother-daughter movie that Brave turned out to be.

 

Still, as Sophia is finally allowed to walk up to the princess with wild red hair, she can’t help but smile. “Hi Merida! I really like your dress!”

 

“Why thank you!” Sophia feels goose pimples all over her body as Merida’s accented voice rings out. “I rather like your clothes as well, although they seem a mite big for you!”

 

Sophia frowns as she looks down at herself. Merida speaks the truth: the shirt that once reached down to her waist is hanging pretty loosely on her. Hadn’t she filled it out quite well? And her pants also seemed about ready to fall, Sophia glad that they hadn’t yet. Still, she remembered her clothes fitting her when she had put them on.

 

“Something the matter?” Merida’s voice is enough to make Sophia forget all her worries as she shakes her head. “Well that’s good to know. I hope you’re enjoying your stay here in the Magic Kingdom.”

 

“Uh huh, I am!” Sophia says, the girl giving Merida a hug when the opportunity presents itself. She giggles a bit, truly delighted to get to meet one of the beautiful princesses. So much so that she continues to chat with the beauty, even as some of the cast members motion Merida to hurry along.

 

“Well dear, I’m afraid I must meet with some of the others here! But it was nice to speak with you!”

 

“Okay!” Sophia hides the hurt as she parts ways with Merida. She returns back to Viola and her brother, the former seeming delighted while the latter looks a bit worried.

 

“Well done, Sophia! Three down for you! Now, how about we visit some of the stores along Main Street before we head out? There are a few things I’d like to pick up, and I think Bernie still has some money to spend too!”

 

 

“Sophia, something’s wrong.”

 

“I think we already figured that out.” Sophia examines her body in the bathroom mirror, front teeth lightly biting down on her lip. She knows that something is wrong here, and the cloudiness in her mind is just a part of it. For some reason, her face seems more childish, her entire body looking less developed than she remembers it being. “I think I got younger. I remember being older.”

 

“Yeah. We look like we’re maybe fifteen or sixteen right now.” Bernard sighs as he flops onto his bed, the teen wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of boxers. To his relief, the clothes in their luggage did seem to fit them perfectly, although part of that did worry the boy too. If they had gotten smaller, why had their clothing changed accordingly?

 

“We should call the police or something. This isn’t supposed to happen.” Sophia says. Now that she’s been away from any princesses for a few hours, it’s much easier to think. Sure, she can’t exactly remember how old she once was, but she knows that this isn’t right.

 

“And then what? They show up and Viola makes sure we never see a cent from out parents again?” Bernard shakes his head as his sister walks back into the room. “I hate to say it, but there isn’t much we can do right now. If we do one thing wrong, that’s all our money gone.”

 

“We have to think of something, Bernie. If meeting the characters is what’s causing us to feel so funny, to get younger, we need to find out how to avoid them.”

 

“That would be nice and all, if, you know, we weren’t forced to meet them.” Bernard grumbles, looking at the list Viola had provided him with. “I don’t want to think about meeting Pooh…just looking at the ride earlier made me feel so strange.”

 

“We left earlier than I would have liked to.” Sophia admitted. “I don’t know how I’ll get a shot at meeting the Frozen princesses if there really is a three hour line for them.”

 

“And I thought I had it bad. Have fun meeting the girls from that overhyped movie.” Bernard had made a point not to see it, and from the sound of things his twin was the same.

 

Sophia sighs as she pulls the covers over herself. “We’ll figure something out. Right now, let’s just sleep on it, okay?”

 

“Whatever. Good night.” Bernard turns off the light, the teenager wondering what sort of adventures await in the Animal Kingdom as he drifts off to sleep.

 

---