Minnie Mouse waited long enough. Her captors' demands were met. There was no sign of Mickey or even Goofy! Donald Duck was still being held. Minnie teleported out of the castle. Children were outside. "Minnie! Minnie! Minnie" "Minnie Mouse!" "Hi Minnie!" "Where's Mickey?" Minnie looked around. She explored the lit part of the Kingdom looking for him. Minnie searched from the Fun Wheel. Minnie's eyes welled up. She couldn't see by the time the ride stopped. Cinderella was going to ride, but she decided to help Minnie off. Cinderella took her to a bench and let Minnie tell her what happened. Minnie cried, "Mickey is not anywhere in this kingdom! I looked everywhere! Merlin said not to go into the dark places; fog and storm clouds are everywhere. The water is polluted in the dark places and there are not-so-nice things lurking about. Merlin didn't say what they were, but I guessed they were awful!" Cinderalla said, "Mickey had to go to the mountain." She pointed it out. Minnie asked, "He couldn't rescue me first?" Cinderella said, "My love is also there. He, Mickey, two Never Sprites, Goofy, and a pirate named William Turner went earlier this morning." Minnie asked, "What time? What time did they go this morning?" Cinderella said, "Before the sun came up. I had to ask around. None of the children knew. The Never Sprites didn't understand me until I pantomimed clock. They said Mickey and the others left at 3:00 in the morning." Minnie asked, "Three in the morning? What was so terribly important that they had to go to that mountain at three in the morning?" Cinderella said, " I don't know. I do know it was dire, though." Minnie's squeaky voice became shrill! "Did Mickey leave a note about what it was?" Cinderella shook her head. Minnie asked, "Did Prince Charming?Did Goofy?" Cinderella said, "No. I wish someone did, but none of them left notes for us, Minnie." Minnie asked, "How did you find out this mission of theirs was so dire, Cinderella?" Cinderella said, "Merlin told me. He said not to bother him about it. It would be better if I stayed safe." Minnie went to Merlin. Merlin asked, "What's wrong, Minnie?" Minne asked, "When will Mickey and the others be back?" Merlin said, "I don't know. As soon as they take care of what they need to take care of, they will be here. Don't you go off by yourself looking for them. Mickey worries about you, Minnie." Minnie went to the bench she was sitting on earlier. Girls said, "What's wrong?" "What's wrong, Minnie?" "Don't be sad. Why ya crying?" "Aw." Minnie cried, "Mickey is one selfish mouse!" A boy asked, "Why?" Minnie told the children what happened. The boy said, "Maybe he has to fight monsters!" The boy who asked where Mickey was said, "That's why he's not here." Minnie cried more. A girl asked, "Who's Mickey?" Another girl said, "He's her shy guy." The first girl thought about the second girl's comment. She asked, "She likes him?" The second girl nodded. The first girl asked, "Why is he her 'shy guy?' " The second girl said, "He doesn't talk much, he blushes about everything and anything, and obviously, he's adorable to her." The first girl realized she liked shy guys. She was nice when other girls bullied them. They were quiet and hid a lot. The first girl said, "Oh!" The second girl said, "Good. You get it." The first girl said, "He had to be brave, or someone might've gotten hurt." The second girl sushed her. Minnie didn't want to think about that! She cried, "He could have left a note." Cinderella came over. She said, "Maybe Mickey and the men didn't have time. Perhaps they had to run immediately to the mountain." Minnie yelled, "Yeah right! They could have written a short one!" Cinderella remembered how she was brought to the castle. "I was in the royal garden watering plants, when someone came. She seemed green; I thought she was sick, so I brought her into my castle to lay down. Suddenly I was lassoed by a warthog. The green-skinned lady brought me to the castle; I saw a bright light and then I was there. My Prince was there too. He said, he was practicing his jousting, he was lassoed and he dropped his sword. Then, my love saw the bright light and was at this castle." Cinderella pointed to the castle. Minnie said, "OK, maybe they couldn't write. Of all people, Mickey should have been considerate! He should have told an Elf to write the note." Cinderella said, "I hear those Elves don't always speak fluent English; they may not even speak French for that matter." Minnie said, " Oh. They speak their own language, of course." The boy who asked where Mickey was said, "I hear Sunny talking about the Elves. He says they force you to physically fight them! If you don't, you're not getting anything from them." The boy who asked why Mickey was selfish said, "Maybe Mickey isn't the selfish one." Minnie said, "He could have had Merlin tell me before he went! I had to go to Merlin and ask!" A girl said, "If you didn't ask, you wouldn't know." Minnie said, "True." The girl said, "At least you know where he is!" Minnie stormed off. Everyone heard her clogs clinking against the cobblestones! Later, Minnie was crying at Daisy's Diner. Daisy said, "I have to take this food if you're not eating it." Minnie ate, but the food was cold. She finished her drink and left. Jessie said, "Minnie! You've been crying all day. The children are worried." Minnie explained Mickey, Prince Charming, William Turner, Goofy, and two Never Sprites went to the mountain. Then, she called Mickey a shy guy! Jessie said, "He is a shy guy! He shouldda told ya in that note you're talking about." Cinderella filled Jessie in on the details Minnie left out. Jessie said, "Minnie never told me that." Daisy said, "She came to my restaurant, Daisy's Diner. I told her I had to take away her food if she didn't eat it. She did, but then she left. I haven't seen Minnie since." Jessie asked about Minnie. The children who saw her storm off told what happened beforehand. Jessie knocked on Minnie's door. Minnie answered it. Jessie asked, "Can I come in and talk to ya?" Minnie let her in. Jessie and Minnie sat on the couch in the front room. Minnie listened as Jessie said, "I know the details. Cinderella, Daisy, and the children who were involved told me. Several other kids asked about you, but you ran away! There were rumors you went to find the guys." Minnie said, "I would never do that!" Jessie didn't believe her. She asked, "You're not planning on anything, are you?" Minnie yelled, "No, but that shy guy should have been back by now." Jessie said, "He's probably fighting for all of us. He's protecting this Kingdom by fightin' whatever's in that mountain, so it doesn't come get us!" Minnie said, "I'm not waiting!" She ran to her room, packing things. Jessie said, "I know you miss Mickey, I know he's your shy guy, but you're staying right here, Minnie. You're not leaving this house!" Minnie yelled, "It's my house, I'll leave when I want to!" Jessie blocked Minnie at the doorway. Minnie, suitcases in each hand, yelled, "Let me out! Let me out, Jessie!" Jessie didn't move. Minnie thought about pushing Jessie out of the way, but she realized she might get her butt kicked! Minnie unpacked and put her things away. She said almost in a whisper, "Thank you for stopping me from doing something stupid. That little boy is right. I'm the selfish one. I only wanted to see Mickey, but now I realize I'd be putting myself in danger doing it. Maybe Mickey isn't so shy all the time. I just got so used to him being shy; he's never had to fight for me, well not too often, anyway. Usually, Mickey fights some other guy because of me. This time, he's fighting something more serious. I hope he's OK." Jessie sat next to Minnie on the bed. "Let him fight; this isn't yours Sweetie. This is his fight, and the other guys'." Minnie said, "The Sprites are fighting too." Jessie said, "Yes, and its theirs. The best thing to do is stay out of it by staying here." Minnie said, "I'm not leaving." Jessie said, "Good! I've talked sense into you. Now, let's go to my restaurant and eat!" Minnie said, "OK." Her eyes lit slightly! Jessie said, "Now, Minnie, not one word about Mickey, ya hear?" Minnie said, "He's my shy guy!" Minnie's eyes were wet. Jessie said, "That shy guy o' yours is making you cry and the rest of us miserable. I don't want to hear one word about him. If you bring up Mickey one time, I'll go to the Roundup and eat alone. I'd rather eat by myself, than hear you talk about that shy guy! OK, you have your reasons to call him one, but Mickey is not part of our conversations tonight." Minnie didn't say anything. She said, "I'll get my act together. I won't talk about him. Let's go." Jessie and Minnie went to the Roundup They were served by Bo Peep. Jessie and Minnie ate barbequed ribs with two Cokes on the side. At least diner was quiet! Jessie and Minnie went to the Hoe Down at Al's Toy Barn. Minnie won various contests; she received prizes! Mickey was gone for a while. Minnie tried to do things to distract herself. Once in a while, she'd mutter, "That shy guy! That shy guy!" Jessie ignored Minnie. One night, she said, "He's all you talk about, he's all you think about, he's all you care about, and he's what you mutter about!" Minnie blushed; several kids in the Diner stared. Sprites didn't speak. Daisy Duck said, "I'll ask you to leave, if you don't quit causing a disturbance." Minnie was quiet. She looked up at her best friend. Minnie didn't want to be kicked out, so she said, "Sorry, everybody." Minnie ate her dinner. Jessie left; when Minnie got home, Jessie said, "You embarrassed me." She left for the night. Minnie went in her house, changed into a night gown, and cried herself to sleep.